My new business: "1101 Cigar Lounge"

Melensdad said:

Just curious, any idea what you paid for it

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I think it was in the $10 range? Perhaps $11? It was actually mid October, so I don't really recall.

What I liked about the Larry is that it had those unique/unusual/interesting flavors for the first 10 minutes, but then became a nice long burning cigar afterwards. I really liked that it stayed very cool and smooth right up to the end.

We charge over $12 for them, but Indiana has a higher tobacco/cigar tax than Illinois (one of the very few taxes where we are too expensive).

As for staying cool to the end, any of the large ring gauge cigars will stay cool when compared to any of the narrow ring gauge cigars. One of my favorite cigars is a TeAmo World Series Dominicana and its only 3.5" long but its a 62 ring gauge and never feels hot.

We are still not ready, but the humidor is about 1/2 full and has been seasoned for the past 8 or 9 days to get the humidity up to where it is stable. Photo below is one of my shooting buddies who is teaching me to shoot competitive IDPA.

No TV's installed yet. Hopefully those will be in here early next week. Then we may actually open up 1 week from today . . . or maybe Saturday? But its getting close.

Inside the humidor, still waiting for 3 more cigar deliveries.





The main lounge area, there is another small seating area in another part of the store where we may do hookah?

Melensdad said:

we may do hookah?

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Now that would be cool. I've never tried one.

On our trip the UK this spring, we took a walk up Edgeware Road. The area is now totally over run with Arabs and stores catering to them. I was amazed that every café that we passed there were Arabs men sitting outside, in freezing cold weather, smoking hookahs.

You know Mel I've never been in one of these places in my life which I find strange. I do smoke and though it is mostly cigarettes I do like a good cigar from time to time. Pretty comfortable looking place though I must say. Good luck with it.

joec said:

You know Mel I've never been in one of these places in my life which I find strange. I do smoke and though it is mostly cigarettes I do like a good cigar from time to time. Pretty comfortable looking place though I must say. Good luck with it.

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With so many jurisdictions outlawing smoking there is a niche market waiting to be filled. We provide a nice space for people to smoke without feeling like they are second class citizens.

EastTexFrank said:

Now that would be cool. I've never tried one.

On our trip the UK this spring, we took a walk up Edgeware Road. The area is now totally over run with Arabs and stores catering to them. I was amazed that every café that we passed there were Arabs men sitting outside, in freezing cold weather, smoking hookahs.

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I tried hookah a couple times. I don't get it. It's tobacco saturated in a substance like honey? And the flavors are odd like apple-mint or orange-berry-mocha? Huh?!?

Melensdad said:

With so many jurisdictions outlawing smoking there is a niche market waiting to be filled. We provide a nice space for people to smoke without feeling like they are second class citizens.

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The International Mechanical Code Book now allows for Smoking Rooms. One of my customers was looking at doing one down in the Des Moines, Ia area and the city was allowing it.

Melensdad said:

With so many jurisdictions outlawing smoking there is a niche market waiting to be filled. We provide a nice space for people to smoke without feeling like they are second class citizens.

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Yes they started the school smoking ban even for teachers and administrators the last year I worked for Dade County Public Schools, hence we had to go off of school grounds and down the street to have a cigarette. Here in Kentucky of all places they are even harder on it. You can't smoke on hospital grounds even the sidewalks are marked with no smoking signs in the pavement. Never mind in your own car with a kid under 18 years old. Oh well I won't be around to see it completely made illegal.

What happens when they do a no smoking in all public places law in Indiana? These are coming all over, being pushed here in Wisconsin now...

thcri said:

The International Mechanical Code Book now allows for Smoking Rooms. One of my customers was looking at doing one down in the Des Moines, Ia area and the city was allowing it.

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Av8r3400 said:

What happens when they do a no smoking in all public places law in Indiana? These are coming all over, being pushed here in Wisconsin now...

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I should clarify what I said above. The code does not allow for smoking rooms but a smoking establishment. If I remember right when I was working on this two years ago if the building was specifically designated for smoking it is allowed. The company I was working with had a tobacco shop and next to it with it's own building entrance was the smoking lounge. The two spaces were not connected. You would buy your cigar in one place take it over to the other and smoke it. This is my memory of it. The company I was working with backed out half way through the project.

Av8r3400 said:

What happens when they do a no smoking in all public places law in Indiana? These are coming all over, being pushed here in Wisconsin now...

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Simple. Bob converts to a private club and charges a $1 annual dues. New members also get a coupon for a $1 discount on their first purchase.

That's how it was in Arkansas when I ordered a drink at a restaurant (Gaston's). Arkansas has some weird blue law about drinks can only be served to private members, so your first drink costs more to cover the membership, but the second drink is discounted with a coupon.

Yeah. Good idea, but it won't fly.

A restaurant in Wausau Wisconsin tried to do the same thing after the city imposed a draconian no smoking law. No go. They were heavily fined and eventually shut down after a financially ruinous legal battle.

Av8r3400 said:

What happens when they do a no smoking in all public places law in Indiana? These are coming all over, being pushed here in Wisconsin now...

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Hell, where Bob went to college half of the damn professors smoked during class! If Bob ever took an English class with the head of the English department, I assure you that the professor smoked in Bob's class. Since I don't smoke, I brought a small cooler with a 6 pack of Bud to class one day. As he was lecturing, the professor strolled on back to where I was sitting, opened my cooler, grabbed a Bud, opened it, and kept on lecturing while drinking my Bud and puffing away. I'll give Bob one guess which prof that was.

I know nothing about the smoking laws. My employees know my rule; I don't care if you smoke or not, but you're not going to smoke on me. If we have meetings in the office, they just step outside on breaks and smoke away using my cups half full of sand for an ashtray.

Oh, I do have to brag on one of my employees. After smoking for over 25 years she was outside smoking the summer before last during one of our meetings and my (at the time) 8 year old asked her if she had any kids. She said "sure" and showed him pictures of her kids. To her surprise and mine, he then asked her why would she smoke and not be their mommy for as long as she could be. That, along with other input, caused her to tell me that she was going to quit smoking. I thought "sure you will", but offered her a nice little bonus if she did as my incentive for her health. You guessed, she went to the Dr. and got some of those pills (can't recall the name) and she quit. It's been about a year and a half and not only has she quit, but she's become one of "those" smoking Nazis. I constantly have to remind her that I never nagged her about smoking; but am proud of her for quitting.

Brent, do you remember the professors who ate their cigars during class too?

Av8r3400 said:

What happens when they do a no smoking in all public places law in Indiana? These are coming all over, being pushed here in Wisconsin now...

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Indiana is actually working on a statewide smoking ban, it is written to exempt Casinos and Tobacco shops. There is every indication it will pass as written, or perhaps with an amendment to include private clubs.

Very nice smoke shop,looks like its going to be relaxing.I've been to a few here before i go golfing(hacking)and its nice to try different brands to know if their any good,hope it works out for you.