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Local B&M having a minimum purchase to use lounge?

If you dont mind, what was the name of the B&M? I am from Towson, although I am away at school, I have never had any problems with places charging for their lounge. However, I've been going to the same place for the past couple years. I really like The Humidour on York Rd. in Cockeysville, great service and great people.
 
cjhokie said:
If you dont mind, what was the name of the B&M? I am from Towson, although I am away at school, I have never had any problems with places charging for their lounge. However, I've been going to the same place for the past couple years. I really like The Humidour on York Rd. in Cockeysville, great service and great people.
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Yeah. Bigmanfromou already recommended The Humidour. I will have to check them out. The shop was Mt. Washington Cigars.
 
As I read through here, it makes me really grateful that we have a such a nice place to hang and smoke. My regular lounge serves beer and wine and has live entertainment on the weekends. It also sports a very nice menu as well as a private dining area if needed. He stocks a fairly nice humidor but the place isn't just about smoking. The regulars who come in there are from everywhere. It has more the feel of a private lounge but the majority of patrons are cigar smokers.

All that to say this, he has a two drink minimum on nights when there is live music, but he never has to enforce it. He has so much to offer, anybody who shows up is gonna spend a few bucks on something. We always buy something yet never feel obligated to do so.

We are lucky indeed.

G-
 
I don't know where to stand on this. Maybe for some reason, this guy had a problem with people buying $4 cigars and camping in a chair for 4 hours so that his $20 a stick smokers couldn't find a seat. I don't think $15 is unreasonable at all. That's 2 sticks... if you can't find 2 sticks you want to smoke, the selection must really suck.

My home shop doesn't really have any written rules, but if there is an issue it gets taken care of. If a guy comes in and buys one smoke then hangs out for 8 hours or if he brings in his own smokes that he bought elsewhere and rarely buys things from the shop, he is going to get talked to and if it doesn't change... he's going to get banned. On the other hand, if you buy smokes there regularly, they don't worry about what you smoke on a day to day basis. I smoke things that I've bought elsewhere or things that my shop doesn't carry, but they don't care. There's alot of discretion involved, but it works
 
$15 is like half a cigar at my local, where there is a $30 min.

I don't like the business model at all but it seems fairly common in high-rent areas.
 
I've always felt the only minimum price should be, whatever you buy. Whether it be a $2 cigar or a $20 cigar. If you pay for their product, you should be able to use the lounge.

I prefer a shop that doesn't enforce this type of behavior. I often by boxes. So to ask me to buy something everytime I come in is a bit rediculous. Since I buy the box and store it at home, my shop has no issue with me bringing my own in, because more than likely that one from home was bought from them.
 
The two lounges close to me are both very nice, the larger lounge not having a min purchase, but the smaller one does.

The larger one is about 1 year old, and has all new furnishings yet the selection is not up to par. This one serves alcohol, and hosts sporting events on their big flat panels.

The smaller lounge has a smaller walk in humi, but with much higher quality smokes + a larger markup. They have a $15 min purchase that is enforced only if you aren't a regular. They have a VIP area reserved for gentlemen with locker's only. If you are a member with a locker, you will never have to pay the min purchase to sit anywhere in the B&M. They have been in business since the mid 90's and aren't going anywhere despite a new citywide no smoking ban.

-Jimmy
 
One of the locals I frequent has a $10 minimum if you wanna hang out in the lounge. They have really good selection and in NJ(taxes) that's only about one or two smokes. The guys that work at the shop won't bust your chops if you buy a $7 cigar and you wanna smoke and hang out there. I don't disagree with the policy. IMHO I think it's a little "nervy"(sp) to walk into a shop not buy anything and just sit down and smoke your own cigars. If you are regular and buy stuff all the time it's a different story. A few miles away there is another b&m that has no minimum purchase rule or any purchase rule. I have been there and there are loads of guys that bring there own smokes and won't buy a thing and sit there for hours. To me that's bringing your own food to a restraunt. I don't think there should be a minimum purchase rule, but a purchase rule(just buy something) something seems only fair.
 
I stopped by the Humidour tonight and what a world of difference. Great group of guys and they actually had some Tat blacks and Reds in so I was able to pick a couple up.

Thanks to Bigmanfromou for the recommendation.
 
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