Where to party and have a great time!

Dear Pinnacle Fans,

Thank you for an amazing year!  It’s been our pleasure to entertain and engage literally thousands of people in the last year and we’ve been blessed with awesome entertainers and attendees as well!

We’ve been bombarded with requests for our New Years Eve schedule so it is as Follows

• Goldrush Saloon in Sioux Falls
• Pumphouse in Valley Springs
• Dj’s Bar in Sioux Falls
• Lyon’s Den in Garretson
• Norby’s in Dell Rapids
• Bosco’s in Hartford
• Nunda Bar in Nunda
• Lonestar in Bruce
• Ships Inn in Castlewood
• Stadium in Madison.

Wileys will be spinning with VHULL all night on New Years Eve!

There are tons of specials and other going’s on as well…  I would invite everyone to call the venues, or search their websites, or facebook sites for the specials as well!

Thanks for another great night, and an amazing year!

Smoke Free South Dakota….

The Facts:

• The vast majority (64 percent to 36 percent) voted to remove smoking from all public places
• South Dakota became the 30th state to enact a smoking ban
• Large sums of money have been spent to advance both pro and anti smoking legislation
• Most of us, knew it was a matter of time….

In the short term many businesses that engage in the bar and entertainment trade had looked at the election day results and the ultimate effect on their bottom line like the proverbial turkey the day before we celebrate Columbus’s “discovery” of America.  The campaigning by both groups had their supporters and the vocal provocations spoke about another personal freedom is being taken away from the american people.  That somehow the loss of stench filled bars and the bellowing smoke that ettached itself to every article of clothing & strand of hair was going to put the proprietors on a fast track to a bankruptcy hearing in the days that followed.

Should some owners be concerned about the loss of revenue because of the smoking ban?  Sure… Is it FAIR that the government has changed the rules in the middle of the game of Monopoly that we call life?  Absolutely not!   There are several schools of thought in this debate, but the one thing you have to concede is, it’s NOT going to change.  Not now, not tomorow.. NEVER.

The point  is… times are changing… NOW is the BEST time to re-evaluate everything about your business and make something positive out of it!  Look at your staff, your promotions, your partnerships, and make the RIGHT changes, to reinvent yourself… after all this is a FRESH Smoke Free start!

The biggest thing is be aware and truthful about your scenario.  Have we prolonged some changes? Are we ignoring the trends? Are we just comfortable with the clientele we’ve got?  Or are we afraid to change?

It’s intimidating to talk about changing economic times.  First the recession hits hard, our clientele is aging, and we need to do something to attract a younger demographic who may not appreciate the “charm” of the establishment so many others hold dearly. Change is inevitable, and will not yield because we simply WANT it to.

When Minnesota first passed the smoking ban the pundits hailed that the sky was indeed falling.  However the hospitality issue hasn’t fallen off, it’s actually INCREASED… During the recession and the 40 months or so that it has passed the sales are up approx 11% and hiring is up 3%.  These numbers are far from staggering.  Nor will they ease the pain of the thousands of job layoffs in other fields. BUT the industry isn’t dying.  Some bars have closed due to a multitude of factors, and it’s alot easier to say the smoking ban MADE us lose our business.  Maybe it was something else..

This haze free culture will have some awesome side effects as well.  Taverns and other establishments that have been pre-planning for this have taken steps to lessen the overall effect of the ban.  In Minnesota and Iowa, the venues that have adopted attractive patios & courtyards are seeing a large spike in their revenue and customer counts.  They agree that most that really LOVE to smoke will do it at home, in their car, or perhaps a casino on the reservations.  Their foresight is paying handsome dividends by giving the hard core cig suckers a place to go between the office and the confines of their abode.

Another way proprietors are building interest is by having long-term relationships that are symbiotic in nature and allow the venue and the supplier, entertainment companies, bands, and pool and dart leagues to not just co-exist, but to work TOGETHER!  Bands and dj’s know that if the numbers aren’t good, and the till doesn’t ring higher that it doesn’t ALWAYS reflect poorly on the entertainer.  Sometimes it’s damn hard to have the same level of enthusiasm, and energy to perform 6 people.  Sometimes the venue and the food broker aren’t on the same page or are not listening to the advice about new products, appetizers, and the increased possibility of trying something new to spark something that attracts a new following.  Don’t look at these ongoing or new costs as an expense… Your investing in your future, your INVESTING in yourselves..

In finishing this isn’t something that will change overnight.  But if we work in synchronization to BETTER our collective brands, to offer better customer service at reasonable rates, to be proactive and involved in every aspect of our business… We all prosper.

Don’t let our dreams, passions, and cooperative efforts go up in smoke…

SD Smoking Ban