Restaurant and bar owners on Calgary's popular 17th Avenue say they've had to hire extra staff to deal with the smokers who are lining up outside the establishments to puff away.
    
On any Friday or Saturday night you will see lineups in front of Melrose Cafe and Bar, Morgan's Pub and the Yardhouse Restaurant on 17th Avenue SW. But since the city's new no-smoking bylaw kicked in on Jan. 1, two lineups are forming.

Craig King, spokesman for Melrose, said smokers have to go through a series of steps just to smoke a cigarette because of past problems with line crashers.

"We have hired a couple more door staff. One to control the crowd that is coming in so that we are efficient there and the other one is … to help organize the smoking for people who choose to smoke."
 
Down the street, the Yardhouse is also having to contend with two lineups of customers. Head chef Chris Anderson says restricting smoking to the parking lot has created a mess.

"You just look at our parking lot outside and it's completely covered in cigarette butts."

Organizing the smokers seems to be working. Both King and Anderson say even though they have had to hire extra staff, there's been an increase in business since the no-smoking bylaw came into effect.

The bylaw makes it illegal to light up in all public places, including restaurants and bars.