Monday it was announced that the Sandbar Lounge will be closing on Saturday.
Owner Nancy Goddard spoke with us this morning in the empty bar before opening time at noon.

She said, the drop in business following the passage of a strict citywide smoking ban, was dramatic.
“We were getting by,” she said. “The economy is getting tough, so we are all down. But I knew, if we lost the election and went non-smoking, on top of the economy, that would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, and it did. I went down $27,000 in one month from the month before.”
And Goddard says, one of her loyal customers was blunt when he told her why.
“He is a good customer, and I love him dearly and still do,” she told us,” and I appreciate his honesty. He said, ‘Nancy, I love you and I love your bar, but I’m loyal to my cigarettes. I’m going to go where I can smoke.’”
So, the Sandbar is closing Saturday, Goddard grew emotional when explaining that it is the end of an era.
“Yeah it is,” she signed. “But it might be the beginning of a new one. And I’m sure it will. There are some awesome people interested in buying the bar and I wish them all the luck in the world. And maybe with a fresh start, they’ll be fine.”
Goddard says she is working hard to find new employment for her 11 employees.
She is also the owner of Frosty’s Bar and Grill, and will focus her efforts on that business, which she said, is surviving even after the passage of the ordinance.

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