Favorite things about your local shop....

Smoky the Bear

In my opinion one of the best things about enjoying a fine cigar is the experience. In college we had a great local shop that had a real laid back environment, game tables and, in addition to a great selection of cigars, a full bar. The guys who ran the place were great. What are some of the things you all enjoy most about your favorite shop?

betasynn

My place has monthly or bi-monthly events, sells a few exclusives, has a hand-roller come in every other week from a great brand, has huge leather chairs, a big screen TV, and has a BYOB policy, and an outdoor grill. All of this is overshadowed by the community, which lives up to the motto the cigar store was given: Come as strangers, leave as friends.

Jetmech_63

I love my little B&M. In CA you cant really get around the high prices but the owner(Pops) offsets it with stellar service! Lots of plush couches, 3 big plasma screens, superb selection, byob is in effect, they offer a military discount and once youve been going there for a while and he sees what you like he'll occasionally throw in a freebie based on his reccommendations. Cool little spot. Also has a bunch of events with free food, discount beer and 1/2 off the featured cigar.

Lasabar

undulac

I have two and they both stink. One was okay for talk, but he closed recently due to some health issues and opened up a small shop where you can just purchase, no sitting. The other is a nice shop with drinks and some munchies. The problem is that cigarette smokers have taken over and most of them are the retired guys that sit there all day. If you go and sit with some friends, they take over your conversation yelling the whole time and make you feel that you're invading their space. The owner doesn't have the zigs to tell them to get out even though they don't spend a nickle in there. I would love to open my own. Tim, Alex, Staff!! Any suggestions? Let's do this.

xmacro

phobicsquirrel

I have a couple very small shops around me, they close early and aren't too stocked, but nice service. The large shop is about 20 or so minutes away from me, and though they have a big selection they are more expensive than online which is common but they also seem to not get the new cigars in or the harder to find cigars. At times I'm surprised as they do get some goodies in. I just don't make it down there enough. There's a some-what finished cigar bar, has some plush couches and tables with a big screen tv but the bar is barely stocked and no beer/wine/or hard stuff. The service there sucks as the staff is always in the cigar shop. I'm not sure if there isn't enough money to finish the bar or staff it but it is a real drag. It's better than nothing, and it's the only one around so it's not bad. I'd be there more if I lived closer, I just don't see the point to drive all the way there, spend 2 hours then drive back. I go there if I'm in the area.

plaidbanana1

Garen B

The shop that I go to is cool, great selection, owners are really knowledgeable and you can just sit and shoot the breeze with pretty much anyone. There's a cigar bar on the other side of town, sorta got a weird vibe from it and a guy I herfed with last week confirmed my suspicion that the owner of it was a douche. But, I like the shop that I go to, every is laid back and even if the other guy dropped prices by a ton, I still wouldn't go there because I wouldn't get treated nearly as well there. Just goes to show you, customer service goes a whole lot farther than anything else.

PuroFreak

kuzi16

blustar4life

Puro, that is a sweet shop. I am going to have to look that one up when I am down there. I've got two places to choose from here. the first one i went to the guy was helpful in picking out some cigars and a new lighter. The other one i just visited the first time last week. it was more of an in and out cigar run. They both have a smoking room w/ tv's and stuff but I didn't take time to check them out. hmmmm, sounds like a weekend project.

Fourtotheflush

jihiggs

closest thing I have is the brewry that teamed up with a local cigar shop. outdoor smoking only though, stupid washington state. but they have propane heaters and a cover for the rain. people are pretty cool, beer is good. every other week they have a club night.

havanaal

My B&M is so great, it tends to be crowded! At peak hours there's a line to check out with your smokes. Amazing. Great selection. Great service. My only complaint is that none of the prices are marked, which is the ONLY cigar store I've been in in my life that doesn't bother.

rdnstn

The only real good thing about my B&M other than being able to smoke indoors is that they have many cigars that I haven't seen in many other places including CCOM

alienmisprint

Being a new resident of Lousiana, I wouldn't say I have a favorite local B&M yet, but I did find a very promising one today, The Cigar Club in Lake Charles. I am stoked about it, it looks like a great lounge with an awesome selection, a very comfortable lounge area, and a full bar.

gmill880

jeff_connors

4bob4

In lenox square mall we have a combo "Vino 100/Tinderbox"  Selection is pretty good they definately love their Davidoff's.  Selection seems to rotate which is good if you're looking for something new but not so great if you want an old standby and they dont have any (i.e. the box of ashton cabinets I recently wanted).  With it being in a mall there is no smoking allowed but the staff are very knowledgeable about the cigars and the wine and the prices aren't too bad either.

 

What's B&M stand for?

gmill880

b&m = BRICK AND MORTAR

Lasabar

brsmith21

I have to agree; I usually prefer to be left alone to shop. I don't mind a brief introduction/can I help you find anything, but don't follow me around like I'm a teenager in a convenience store about to shoplift. That gets old fast and also gets the shop out of my regular rotation pretty quick.

gmill880

I just need to know their there if I need them thats all...

kuzi16

i like it when they are in there so i can discuss the cigar at hand. i have learned a ton of stuff from doing this.

Luko

I prefer they leave me alone...I really have all the knowledge I need at this point. Ok, just kidding, but I do hate to be annoyed. I like to browse, think about what I'm getting, etc. without someone hovering over me. When I have a question, or am ready, by all means, hover away.

nightmaremike31

I wouldn't mind talking cigars with the people in my local shop, but I get the feeling I'm more of an inconvenience than a valued customer. They are a bunch of old guys, not that old guys are bad, but I just get that snoody, eye rolling, and the "uh" or "sigh" when I ask them questions about specific cigars. So needless to say, I still indeed go there and get left alone, not by choice. I would like to talk to them, but they just don't want to talk to me. Maybe I should try to get a second job there...

clearlysuspect

I can tell you what I hate about my local shop: the fact that it doesn't exist! Stupid Southern Maryland...... grrrrr!

laker1963

clearlysuspect:

I can tell you what I hate about my local shop: the fact that it doesn't exist! Stupid Southern Maryland...... grrrrr!

I'm with you on that ! I live in Canada where it is too expensive and over regulated to make it worth having a true B&M. In the largest cities the B&M's would likely make most of you boys laugh with the pathetic stock and over priced Cubans and premium sticks. I refuse to even go into them anymore.

4bob4

I'm with gmill and some others. I like a "do you have any questions or anything" "no? ok just let me know if you need anything" and then they leave me alone. It's good to know they can answer a question if I have one. On the same note I do really like the guys at my local store they do a good job of taking in what I have enjoyed and recommending some others similar and some that "Aren't like what I've been smoking but I will probably enjoy it".

Grahamcracker