The love/hate relationship of walking into a local cigar shop

[RijkdeGooier]

Nobody likes a bragger! Lol.

Hahhaha

It's more that I realise that me and my fellow European Aficionados are still in a luxury position.

Then again, I've just received news that the local Big Smoke event is cancelled indefinitely because of local regulations. Too bad as it was a great preparty to the TabaksMesse.

[beparrish]

...However, they watch for people bringing in other cigars. One guy even has a sign that reads, "Would you bring your own steak to a steakhouse? Would you bring your own Coffee to a coffee house? Then don't bring your own cigars to our cigar lounge.

My local is part of a small franchise (about 11 stores), and they have a similar policy. Fortunately, the store managers tend to look the other way provided that you make a purchase.

What I fail to understand is why does it matter what I smoke provided that I am a paying customer ?? I always buy 2-3 cigars for every cigar I smoke in the lounge, but I prefer to smoke cigars with some age on them, rather then fresh over-humidified cigars from their humidor.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying I should be able to waltz into any lounge with my own cigars, smoke 'em and then head home. But my local's rule is that even if I were to buy a box of cigars from them, I cannot bring those cigars in at a later time. All cigars smoked in the lounge must be purchased that day from their humidor.

What a bunch of rubbish...

[parabola66]

Don't get me wrong, I love going into local shops and buying a few sticks. I love the Easter Egg hunt of finding something I have been wanting to try for a while... I just start to get itchy and get tunnel vision. I get to my car and realized I just spent $70, $100, $150, and in some cases upwards of $200. Not complaining about the shop, the price or the cigars.. just my lack of impulse control

[SmittyinAZ]

What I love - That cigar shops still exist! Harder and Harder to find good ones in states/countries with difficult laws. Love to walk in and get hit by the aroma...ahhhhhh.

What I hate - Very overpriced mid level cigars for no reason. Although I understand it's a tough business with internet competition and all.

[dangolf18]

Buying a NC cigar at the local shop is the entry fee to use their lounge for me. Sometimes I smoke it, sometimes I smoke what I brought. Sometimes both.

That Mission Pipe and Tobacco which I believe is in your neck of the woods is a ripoff. Prices were pretty egregious. You'll rarely find sticks at MSRP in the Bay Area.

[Lotusguy]

That Mission Pipe and Tobacco which I believe is in your neck of the woods is a ripoff. Prices were pretty egregious. You'll rarely find sticks at MSRP in the Bay Area.

The worst is the one on Santa Row - easily twice the going rate on everything.

I usually hang at Club Havana these days.

[planetary]

The worst is the one on Santa Row - easily twice the going rate on everything.

I usually hang at Club Havana these days.

Yeah, I avoid that Santana Row shop like the plague. Will have to check out Club Havana. To be honest, I'm not the most social of smokers, so I have only very rarely smoked at all in a shop or lounge.

[shortsqueeze]

What I love - That cigar shops still exist! Harder and Harder to find good ones in states/countries with difficult laws. Love to walk in and get hit by the aroma...ahhhhhh.

What I hate - Very overpriced mid level cigars for no reason. Although I understand it's a tough business with internet competition and all.

It's how they stay in business. In order to stay on the right side of the tobacco police to allow us to smoke and drink in their lounge, they have to meet some absurd quota of tobacco sales as a percentage of total sales (booze).

[kuma]

If anyone is ever on the east coast of the states mainly New England in the state of Ct look me up.

I'm in the area of New Haven and there is a great cigar shop called "The Owl Shop" where you

can eat, drink, smoke, bring your own CC's in but you must buy something. Coffee, sandwich,

coke, booze what ever and you can stay there all day if you want. Night time weekends "bands"

sometimes pairing drinks w/cigars.........anyways great place so if you are ..........look me up.

[jwr0201]

One guy even has a sign that reads, "Would you bring your own steak to a steakhouse? Would you bring your own Coffee to a coffee house? Then don't bring your own cigars to our cigar lounge. T

I wish our owner would do something like this. You would not believe the number of people that feel free to come in, take a seat and proceed to enjoy the games on TV while enjoying their own cigars they brought with them. There really is not a big profit in a cigar lounge and with sticks that can easily be had for 5 bucks and up, no reason not to support the local place one is visiting. Actually, it is bad form to enter a B & M and whip out your own cigars and not purchase. Ran into this very thing twice today.

On anther note, we really are fortunate here is Florida, as this one of only two states and of course, DC in the US with no state taxes on cigars. Vermont is the worst with 92% (capped at $2 to $4 per stick).