Beach-side bars cite e-mail as cause for spring break lull; full impact of alcohol ban too early to assess.

The beach booze ban has a twist.

Citing a smaller turnout of spring breakers than expected, some barkeepers in Pacific Beach said an e-mail blast allegedly sent by "the chamber of commerce" to out-of-town universities and students warning them that the city has banned alcohol consumption on its most popular beaches may have deterred many party animals from coming here.

Information about the alleged e-mail is sketchy because the bar owners and managers hadn't actually seen it nor could they name a specific university.

"I heard the chamber of commerce sent an e-mail to students, which to an extent notified them that San Diego no longer allowed drinking on the beach," said Steve Medley, the general manager of Lahaina Beach Club in Pacific Beach.

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce did not send such an e-mail said spokesman Scott Alevy.

"There are about 20 chambers in San Diego County, but why would we or any of them send out something like that?" Alevy said. "It wouldn't make sense."

E-mail addresses can be forged.

But Medley said he heard the same story "over and over" from different tourists at different times. While he's seen half as many spring break vacationers this year as last, Lahaina's business from late February through March is on par with the same time frame last year, he added.

Spring break is staggered for the nation's college students, with most schools letting out between late February and late March.

Ban's Effects Uncertain

The San Diego City Council's yearlong trial ban on alcohol took affect in Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and Mission Beach in January. A brawl that drew police in riot gear to Pacific Beach on Labor Day last year prompted the council to act.

It's too early to say how the ban would impact business at bars and restaurants there, Medley said.

"We've seen a boost in business earlier in the day because of the ban, but we've only got one month of good weather to go on, so I can't say if it's a trend," he said.

James Brennan who heads EnDev LLC, which owns Bar West on Hornblend Street in Pacific Beach, said he too had heard of the alleged e-mail.

Since Bar West opened in May 2007, he can't make a comparison about spring break business.

"The bottom line is that people don't go to the beach to stand indoors at a bar," he said. "They may come in for a cocktail or two, but I assume the places on the Boardwalk (along the shoreline in Pacific Beach) would profit the most, not the places that are off the beaten path. It's going to be interesting this summer. Whether there is an opportunity to capitalize on the beach drinking ban is still in question."

Steve Riley, general manager of the Firehouse Beach Cafe, which opened in June 2007 on Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach, said he has noticed a change in clientele recently.

"We didn't know what to expect," Riley said. "Some people said there'd be nobody around and others said there'd be a line out the door."

Business has been steady, however, and the crowd mix includes more families, both tourists and locals. "We've been solidly busy," he said. "It's not the yahoo crowd, but that's fine by me."

Drinking is not allowed on five other state beaches in the county: Cardiff, San Elijo, South Carlsbad and Carlsbad State, and Torrey Pines in the North County. Alcohol consumption is allowed on the beaches in Del Mar, Solana Beach and the Silver Strand State Beach in Coronado.