DENVER -- Bar owner James VonFeldt fought long and hard against Colorado's smoking ban, now he's getting ready to call it quits.

VonFeldt and his wife are in the process of selling Billy's Inn, a business that's been in their family for 40 years.

"The smoking ban killed me," VonFeldt said. "My business has dropped 41 percent."

VonFeldt said he and his wife have been living on savings and borrowed money.

"My adjusted gross income last year was $914."

He said he regrets not selling his business two years ago, when the offers were rolling in.

"In 2005 I had an offer of $825,000. Two weeks later," he added, "I got an offer of $855,000."

But he wasn't ready to retire, so he declined.

"After the smoking ban took effect, the best offer I've gotten is $600,000." Now, VonFeldt is trying to finalize the sale.

His customers have mixed feelings about the smoking ban.

"I'm sorry he's closing down," said one customer, who lit up a cigarette on New Year's Eve. "It's his own business, he should be able to set his own rules."

Another customer said she feels sorry for VonFeldt, but added, "It's a good law, because it respects other people."

VonFeldt said the new owners will likely convert Billy's Inn from a neighborhood tavern into something a little more upscale.

He said he'll use proceeds from the sale to pay some bills, pay Uncle Sam, and then take his wife on a well deserved vacation.

"I couldn't take my wife anywhere last year, because we didn't have any money," VonFeldt said. "Well, I'm going to take some of that money and give her a good vacation, then I go back to work for someone else."