El Patron On Westside Goes Smoke Free!

Our friends at the Indiana Latino Institute, Inc. (ILI) have been working with the owner of El Patron to take his bar and nightclub smoke free. On June 15th, owner Edgar Ibañez made the decision to provide a safe and healthy work environment for all his employees and visitors. Way to go El Patron and ILI! Here is a story complied by ILI on this latest success.

For the first time in Indianapolis there is a completely
Smoke free Latino Bar, EL PATRON

Edgar Ibañez has owned several businesses. Along with other family members and Kelly Membreño (his girlfriend), they currently operate the International Convention Center. This is the first events hall that is one hundred percent Hispanic. The capacity for the events hall is enough for both private and public events such as; dances, conferences, community activities, weddings, birthdays, baptisms, and all other occasions celebrated in the Latino community. This events hall is spacious, clean and completely smoke free.

While managing the International Convention Center, Ibañez noticed when he would go out to bars to dance that they were awful and smoke filled. Another thing he noticed was that he could not find a place with a good variety of music. Therefore, he had the idea of opening his own business and with much determination and new ideas he got the opportunity to buy a location that is now known as the Restaurant-Bar “EL PATRON,” the first Latino completely smokefree bar.

For 40 years this business operated as a bar and permitted smoking. The tobacco smell was everywhere. Ibañez conducted a survey with his clients and found that the majority of the people did not smoke or like to visit night clubs that allowed smoking due to the dangers caused by second hand smoke. These results fell in line with his desire to make the Restaurant- Bar “EL PATRON” smoke free. Ibañez began to clean up the bar little by little. He made changes to the location; a new name, determined it would be smoke free and a selection of a variety of music, so people with different taste and from different countries would feel welcome in his place. Now his clients and employees are happy and protected. According to the Centers of Disease Control, making your workplace smoke free will lower business cost and produce a healthier workforce. Thereby, protecting your most important assets – your employees.

The Indiana Latino Institute, Inc. has been in communications with “EL PATRON” for the past six months, educating them and their patrons on the benefits of a smoke free environment. On June 15th, the Indiana Latino Institute, Inc. presented “EL PATRON” a certificate in appreciation for keeping the Latino community in Indianapolis healthy by offering a location to enjoy food and beverage free of tobacco. At the same time they were presented with a smoke free policy to implement within their business for employees and patrons. The U.S. Surgeon General Report concluded that smoke free workplace policies are the only effective way to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace.

ILI congratulates “EL PATRON” for putting the health of their employees and patrons first in going completely smoke free. El Patron is located at 3 Beech Way Dr., Indianapolis, IN, 46224, phone 317-444-1207. Business days and hours are Thursday through Sunday, 5pm to 3am.

To obtain information on how to make your location a smoke free work place contact the Indiana Latino Institute, Inc. (317) 472-1055.