Lake County taverns trying to accommodate their smoking clientele

Smokers are no longer allowed to light up inside their favorite bar, but some Lake County taverns are being creative when trying to provide a warm place to puff.

A handful of bars in Fox Lake and Lake Villa have pitched a heated tent or ensured their deck area is set up for cold weather months.

At KC's Cabin at Wilmot Road and Route 173 in Fox Lake, bar owners put up a 15-foot-by-15-foot blue and white tent. It comes complete with a space heater, indoor-outdoor carpeting and ashtrays.

"We've had plenty of time to prepare for it," said Pete Franke of KC's Cabin. "This isn't the greatest thing in the world, but it's better than standing outside."

Nutties Sports Bar on Grand Avenue in Lake Villa modified the outdoor deck used as a beer garden during the summer.

Owner John Skoullos measured 15-feet from the back door of his building onto his roofed, outdoor deck, put up thick plastic to block the wind, and marked a yellow line on the ground showing exactly how close people could stand to the door. He also installed a space heater to try and keep people warm.

"We built the deck last year as a place for people to hang out," he said. "But, this works for us with the new law. It'll give smokers a nice place to smoke when it's cold."

Fox Lake police chief Mike Behan said using outdoor structures to keep smokers warm is allowed under the state's new smoking law. Such structures require a village-issued permit, he added.

Alcohol cannot be served in the structures, and there must be plenty of ventilation to remove the smoke, Behan said.

Under the state law that went into effect Jan. 1, people are not allowed to smoke within 15 feet of entrances, exits, windows, and ventilation intakes, to ensure tobacco smoke does not enter the indoor public areas of bars and restaurants.