Some local restaurant and bar owners who initially feared a loss of business from a statewide smoking ban now say sales are back to normal, if not better, than when the ban was instituted last July.

`` We've actually been pretty busy here,'' said T.J. Gianfrancesco, manager of Tom's Tavern in Wrentham. `` We're busier than last year at this time.''

His comments appear to be in line with a report released this week that found overall sales and employment at restaurants and bars grew slightly during the first six months of the ban.

Rhode Island instituted a similar ban last month, and business owners in this area said that might be contributing to steady or better than average sales.