[wyclif]

Used to be that bars were the place you went in the US to smoke and drink. Since you can't smoke in bars (Note: "pubs" for UK readers) anymore, there's less of a reason to go to them, and it incentivizes drinking at home. Which has led to a lot of bars closing and fewer of them than ever.

[airstrike]

I don't think we're trying to solve for maximizing the number of bars

[babypuncher]

All the bars where I live seam busy as ever. I don't think smoking bans are hurting them at all.