Many Lawrence bar owners are saying business revenue and the smoking ban seem to go hand-in-hand. But they are not saying how much the ban is costing them in actual dollars.

Owners and managers are capable of divulging the percentage of business they’ve lost or gained due to the ban, but they are hesitant to reveal their profits. The precaution may arise from a fear of competition.

“You really don’t want your competition to know what you’re spending,” said Connie Roach, manager of the Hereford House, 4931 W. Sixth St. “It’s just a good business practice.”

Since the ordinance has been in effect, Lawrence bar owners said their losses ranged from six to 30 percent, depending on the bar.

That lost cash means some bars are not refilling vacant positions in their establishments.

“We had two employees that quit, and we couldn’t replace them,” said Jerry Neverve, owner of the Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Massachusetts St. “I just don’t need to rehire these positions.”

Evening shifts at the Hereford House have gotten thinner as well, Roach said. Employees on shifts that were once busy are often cut, she said.

Even some franchised businesses are seeing a dip in the profits.

“We have seen a slight drop in revenue since the ban,” said Dan Jones, manager of Chili’s Grill & Bar, 2319 Iowa St.

Jones said he could not disclose specific information on funds due to company policy.

Although not bound by company policy, local bar owners often do not want to disclose their private finance numbers either. They have a myriad of methods to avoid disclosing financial figures, including hiding from competition, franchise constraints, personal privacy and concern for the establishment’s image.

Deciding to disclose private business finances is at the discretion of the owner or manager.

“I don’t really want to give out my personal information,” Neverve said. “It is not really anyone else’s business.”

Regardless of how the business is actually doing, the public may see any loss as a bad omen for the establishment, Roach said. Businesses have to protect their image so people will keep coming in, she said.

“We really just don’t want people thinking, ‘This business is going down the toilet,’” she said.