Ames has gained one more smoke-free option for its residents. But this time, it’s not a restaurant — it’s a bar.

Brewer’s, 2704 Stange Road, is Ames’ first smoke-free tavern. Owner Blair Brewer says the decision to be smoke-free was made for a reason.

“If you look at your marketing plan and you ask yourself what can you do that’s different, one of the things you can do is try to find a competitive advantage,” he says. “If that competitive advantage is going to be a sustainable competitive advantage, that’s even better. That’s what we thought being smoke-free would be — a competitive advantage.”

Brewer has been involved with bars for over a decade and says the success of smoke-free bars depends on their location.

“I’ve been in the wine and spirits industry for 13 years and covered probably 16 states,” he says. “And it depends on the area. California is mandated smoke-free. New York is becoming mandated smoke-free. I don’t know if it’s a ‘tree-trend,’ but it seems to be something coming that way — not just for bars, but for restaurants also.”

Mike Adams, manager of Welch Ave. Station, 207 Welch Ave., says he thinks the concept of smoke-free bars will eventually catch on.

“I think it’s something you will see more and more of,” Adams says.

“It’s something we have considered yearly, but I don’t think it is right for us to do at this time.”

Adams says he thinks certain people will be drawn to the smoke-free environment.

“It will be very attractive to non-smokers,” he says.

“It would be a shame to lose them.”

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, says he thinks the addition of a smoke-free bar is a positive step for Ames.

“I think it’s yet another piece of evidence that bars and restaurants can be smoke-free and still be viable,” says Quirmbach, who was a member of the Ames City Council when the smoke-free ordinance was passed. “Only one- quarter of the adult population are smokers. The other three-fourths are not.”

The Supreme Court declared the Ames ordinance unconstitutional May 7, which required local bars and restaurants to be smoke-free from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., but Quirmbach says quite a few restaurants are still keeping their establishments smoke-free.

The ordinance allowed only a few exemptions, Quirmbach says, and those included establishments that earned less than 10 percent of their revenue from food sales. Truck stops and bowling alleys were also excluded from the ordinance.

Brewer says there are not designated areas for smoking outside of his bar. However, customers who have gone outside to smoke have done a good job of respecting boundaries.

“We just try to keep people away from the door so when the door opens, you don’t get a whiff of smoke,” he says.

Brewer says the target consumer market for his bar is not necessarily college students, but they have been visiting Brewer’s since its opening.

“Our target audience is the 30 to 35-year-old young professional,” he says.

“But surprisingly, we have had quite a few college kids coming in later, around 9 or 9:30, maybe after an evening class, and enjoying the martinis as well as the variety of beers.”

Brewer says the smoke-free atmosphere, as well as the variety of beverages, sets Brewers apart from other Ames establishments.

“They are not coming and drinking Bud Light or Miller Lite,” he says. “They are coming here and having something they can’t have other places.”