I want to get the community's opinion on this to see if I'm being an unreasonable asshole.
I went to my local B&M / lounge for an afternoon smoke today and brought along one of the CAO Amazon Basin that I purchased from one of the members here because I've been jonesing to smoke one.
Now I'm not that douche bag that brings their own to a lounge and expects to smoke it there without compensating the shop in some way, so today I selected a $17 cigar from their humidor and began the transaction at the counter. I've done this several times here as well as different shops and it's never been an issue.
When the counter guy found out that I wasn't planning on smoking the $17 cigar I was in the process of buying, he informed me that the shop was under new management and that only cigars purchased on premises were to be smoked there. I promptly put the cigar that I was buying back in the humidor and told the counter guy to have a nice day.
I believe that business owners should be allowed to run their business however they see fit and I totally understand if they want to limit people taking advantage of the lounge by charging a cutting fee or putting a minimum purchase amount if you want to smoke a stick that you brought with you. But to ban outside sticks is completely asinine in my mind.
If that's how they want to do business then that fine, I'll just vote with my dollars. I think if I'm buying a $17 Oliva V Melanio Maduro which is insanely marked up, then I should have the right to smoke whatever I want. I dont mind paying the mark up for the use of the lounge but shop owners aren't going to tell me what I can and can't smoke while keeping me as a paying customer.
I do like you did. Take my own, buy one of theirs.. I smoke at about 61-62 rh not 70-74. Why smoke a cigar ,I already have in my head, I won't like? I always ask before hand but never had an issue. Not that I go to a lounge very often..
That's my problem as well, this lounge keeps their cigars at the "industry standard" of 70/70 and they usually smoke like shit so I like to take them home to rest in my humidor for a few weeks before I smoke them.
My local shop has a no outside tobacco policy, but I always buy several, usually smoke what I buy because their humi is mid 60s, all boutique. I have however bombed people there, including the owner, and he hasn't said anything.
My question is this: Why not take the Melanio to the smoking area and pull the old switcheroo and cut and light the Amazon. A lot of people remove bands before they light so unless he was all up in your business I doubt theyd ever notice. I see guys with laptop bags, herfadors, etc in lounges often.
I was honest and up front about it because it's never been an issue there before. Next time I'll just pull the sneaky and claim ignorance if anyone notices.
I don’t think your being unreasonable and it sounds like you voiced your opinion without being rude. I’ve never had a problem with smoking what I bring, I do take the time to get to know the owner and employees and I do support my local B&M’s.
The good news is that a business has the right to set and enforce whatever rules that they feel will benefit their business. I have the right to take my business elsewhere if I don’t agree with those rules!
That SUCKS! Buying an Olivia V at $17 is bad enough. Then having to smoke it or else.... That's just nonsense! What do they believe people are checking the bands as you smoke? Glad the lounges near me although, and they should expect ya to buy something from them ( to stay afloat) and if your gonna use the other amenities the lounge provides, but After that who cares what your lighting.!!
Sorry, I gotta' go against the tide here. Their shop; their rules. If they don't allow outside cigars in their lounge, regardless of whether buy another, then they don't allow outside cigars in their lounge.
I've got one like that near me. Great place. I enjoy it. I just know when I go there I'm buying what I'm smoking then and there.
Sorry, but you're wrong to get upset with them. If you don't like it, don't go there. But don't expect them to change their rules just because they don't suit you.
I'd like to know which one it is. Might have to give em a shot.
It's very rare that I take my own to smoke, so this topic really doesn't apply to me, so I'd tend to agree. The ATL area has so much competition it seems like it'd be easy to find just about any atmosphere one could desire here.
I don’t have an abundance of lounges near my.
At one, young kids run the counter and I always ask and explain I like smoking cigars at a lower humidity before buying one of theirs. Never a problem.
At my go to lounge I always buy one and give a special stick or the same one I’m smoking to the owner.
Any B&M that doesn’t allow this is shooting themself in the foot. These places are scraping for every penny. Imagine how many sticks they need to sell to be profitable. Losing customers to another shop is foolish.
In NY 8 months out the year its not too pleasant to smoke outside unless you enjoy freezing your fingers and having your cigar tunnel from the wind so I got a membership at the lounge I like near me. Its not cheap but I have the ability to store what ever cigars and booze I want and smoke what ever I want. To be honest if I think it will be a one cigar day i buy something from them and smoke that. If I feel like a 2 cigar day I will smoke one that I want from my stash and one of theirs. But in general they have a great selection of boutique cigars and the owner is a cool guy.
I wouldn’t go back and they are shooting themselves in the foot. One of the shops I go to will regularly give me a guest pass to sit in the private lounge and smoke after I buy some smokes. I usually spend at least $50 so I don’t feel so bad when the regular see me in there. If they weren’t 40 minutes away I would definitely get a membership.
My thoughts are that a business owner has the right to set his own policies. As a consumer you have rights to choose what lounge to frequent, it’s called living in America!
My thoughts are that a business owner has the right to set his own policies. As a consumer you have rights to choose what lounge to frequent, it's called living in America!
I want to get the community's opinion on this to see if I'm being an unreasonable asshole.
I went to my local B&M / lounge for an afternoon smoke today and brought along one of the CAO Amazon Basin that I purchased from one of the members here because I've been jonesing to smoke one.
Now I'm not that douche bag that brings their own to a lounge and expects to smoke it there without compensating the shop in some way, so today I selected a $17 cigar from their humidor and began the transaction at the counter. I've done this several times here as well as different shops and it's never been an issue.
When the counter guy found out that I wasn't planning on smoking the $17 cigar I was in the process of buying, he informed me that the shop was under new management and that only cigars purchased on premises were to be smoked there. I promptly put the cigar that I was buying back in the humidor and told the counter guy to have a nice day.
I believe that business owners should be allowed to run their business however they see fit and I totally understand if they want to limit people taking advantage of the lounge by charging a cutting fee or putting a minimum purchase amount if you want to smoke a stick that you brought with you. But to ban outside sticks is completely asinine in my mind.
If that's how they want to do business then that fine, I'll just vote with my dollars. I think if I'm buying a $17 Oliva V Melanio Maduro which is insanely marked up, then I should have the right to smoke whatever I want. I dont mind paying the mark up for the use of the lounge but shop owners aren't going to tell me what I can and can't smoke while keeping me as a paying customer.
I'm wondering if the "new management" (which could be everything from an employed General Manager to full on new owners) simply doesn't really understand the cigar, and more specifically, the aficionado industry. There's merit to the idea that you don't want to smoke at the RH they store at. But someone who isn't an aficionado wouldn't know this and wouldn't understand it. Someone who isn't an aficionado would also make blanket rules like what you ran into.
That being said, agreed that it's their shop & lounge, so it's their rules. It's also in your purview to not spend your money there. Your best bet, at this point, is to go elsewhere. If you really liked this particular place, you could always try getting in touch with the new manager / owner and see if you can explain / educate. Worth a try I suppose.
Yep it's full on new owners. No worries though... not particularly attached to the place. They were just convenient because they are only 5 min from my house. V
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