ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Time is almost up for more than 40 bars and restaurants to comply with St. Joseph County's new smoking ban. They were given an extra two years to become smoke free, but that grace period ends April 10.

All of the businesses received an extension when the county's general smoking ban went into effect in 2006. The two-year deal was granted to establishments whose food sales totaled less than $450,000 a year.

Many are bars whose primary sales come from alcohol, but several dozen smaller sized restaurants are also included.

See the list of bars and restaurants that received an extension. (.pdf)

Starting April 10, restaurants on the list with a liquor license will have two options.

"They can partition off a smoking area that has to be completely enclosed from floor to ceiling, where the smoke cannot filter back into a non-smoking area," said St. Joseph County Health Department food services supervisor Rita Hooton. "But they can only have a separate smoking area if they serve alcohol, and can monitor who enters the establishment."

If smoking is permitted, no one under the age of 18 can be allowed inside.

"If you don't have an alcohol license, you're going to be totally smoke free," said Hooton.

While the approaching deadline may have caught some off guard, Hooton says it shouldn't come as a shock to any of the businesses.

"We've been very proactive with informing the people that have the two-year extension," she said. "They've received a number of letters starting January 1. [It] shouldn't come as a surprise."

Even so, some businesses put off the "last minute" remodeling projects, and are now faced with an increased cost.

But at Mr. G's restaurant and bar in Osceola, owner Kevin Candler is preparing for something else.

"I'm preparing to lose my family business," he said. "Because I'm not going to segregate my place. If St. Joe County would fall in line with what Illinois did, or what Indianapolis did, or Fort Wayne, in two years, it's going to be all non-smoking anyway. So whatever improvements I put up will be moot."

Illinois recently banned smoking in all public buildings statewide.

Because his plan to make the entire building "enclosed smoking" means he'll have to ban anyone under 18, he's sure his decision will affect his bottom line.

Others who made the switch two years ago say it hasn't hurt them.

"We've actually seen some increase in business for us," said Bret Robertson, General Manager of Buffalo Wild Wings downtown South Bend location. "Most of our bar traffic is smokers, so it allows them to still smoke and enjoy the sports and everything. People can still enjoy the bar atmosphere, whether they smoke or not."

While Robertson doesn't call the solution "perfect," he says it's been a good compromise.

"I don't really hear too much complaining. Occasionally you might get someone in from out of state that might come in, not too happy that they have to go into the bar to smoke. But for the most part, the complaining has been very minimal."

Candler says that's not what his customers say.

"The customers with kids under 18, they're not happy about finding someplace else to go, and I'm not happy about losing their business. But, what am I going to do?"

Hooton hopes to answer that question at a training session for businesses on March 31. It runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the St. Joseph County Public Library's Colfax Auditorium.

Once the ban takes effect, Hooton says enforcement will be "complaint based."

Violators face a $50 fine for smoking in a non-smoking area.

Businesses will receive a verbal warning first, and can be fined up to $1,000 for subsequent offenses.