Future for Cigar Aficionados and the Cigar Business?

[eriksson20]

Dear friends!

This is a time for some serious words.

As Finland along with the other European countries, has played a card of wide
smoking bans in restaurants and other public places, private clubs and smoking
lounges are the only possible way to ensure positive future prospects for the
cigar business and the pleasures of quality cigars.

This has been aso addressed by the Cigar Cult Journal magazine (editorial
1/200 and the Editors-in-Chief & Aficionados, Dr. Helmut Romé and Reinhold
C. Widmayer. This is in brief, what they have said:

"In some cases ther will be an absolute smoking prohibiton in the restaurant
business and in other cases the desired separation into smokers and non-
smokers areas will become a reality.

However, there is no reason to fall into resignation. Nothing is achieved
through moaning and complaining. What is now at stake is the use of available
area of personal freedom for the fine smoke. Since pleasure smokers of cigars,
unlike cigarette freaks, will not have the desire or even be able to smoke a
petit corona outdoors in freezing temperatures, as this contradicts the very
idea of pleasure provided by the cigar, smoking for pleasure in cigar lounges
and private clubs will have to be further encouraged.

Those thinking ahead in the gastronomy and hotel trade are already readjusting
step-by-step to the new smoking conditions. However, the matter cannot ramain
merely with individual adjustments. The tobacconists are also being called on
this respect to become involved in the developement of new legal possibilities
for pleasure smoking.

Cigar smoking in the future will almost exclusively take place in these
spheres. The more lounges and clubs which are existing, the more important it
will become for the tobacconists to target these areas of smoking freedom with
their marketing efforts.

Along these lines, the demand for cigars and pipe tobacco can again be
normalized or quite possibly increased. The creating of areas of freedom
forthe fine smoke is the key to the future of the specialized trade, since the
people will certainly continue smoking cigars or pipes. The problem is the
restriction of the possibilities which have existed up until this point to
enjoy them. Only a progressive strategy can step-by-step overcome the current
restriction of smoking possibilities. And this within a legal framework.

Fine smoking will also survive these times, as has already been successfully
demonstrated repeatedly during the varied history of smoking."

For that, I call for tobacconists, hotels, clubs and aficionados to take
action together towards enabling the future of the cigar business and
pleasures of fine smoke. I am all available and ready to create genuine
cooperation between products, places and customers to establish opportunities
for doing business and enjoying quality cigars. Just give me the sign!

I am asking the help from all of my affiliates and friends, advertisers and
readers, strangers and acquintances. Please, help me in this quest for
establishing places where supply and demand can cross ways and where the
individual right for the fine smoke is cherished.

Contact me, e-mail me, call me or grab me by my sleeve wen you see me and tell
me what you think we can do together for our future.

Respect and Happy Holidays,

Mikko Eriksson
Financial Analyst and a Concerned Aficionado
Admin of www.worldofcigars.blogspot.com

[roscoe]

Good post...Here's our story....

More than a dozen years ago, the Metropolitan Cigar Society was created to celebrate and promote the responsible use of fine cigars, food, wine and spirits and promote good fellowship among our many members.

New Jersey recently implemented an anti-smoking law that forced us to lose our venue at The Brownstone House in Paterson. We have been meeting there monthly for around 9 years. Sixty to eighty of our 100 members would attend this meeting for a gourmet dinner to socialize with others of the same interests. There would always be a special guest, usually a rep from a cigar or liquor company.

When we saw the writing on the wall the Board decided that it was either dissolve the club or locate our own venue. We thought we would form a corporation, raise capital by selling stock to our members and rent our own space, in essence, forming a private club.

We thought that if we could raise 25k we could get things started. Well, at our February meeting the response from our members was overwhelming. We raised 50k in startup capital that night!

In March of 2006 we leased 4200 sq. ft., centrally located to our membership, in Fairfield, NJ. We gutted the premises and, with members doing the work, we finally opened for business in June 2006. We are now a private, members only, club with 24/7 access.

Now, members of The Metropolitan Society, LLC can savor their favorite smokes in elegant surroundings where they can relax and escape the intolerance and militancy of the anti-smoking crowd while fostering the camaraderie of others who share their enthusiasm for fine cigars.

We sell no tobacco products or adult beverages; only soda and snack vending.

At 150, our membership base is growing by the week and we are extremely excited about our new venture. Financially, since June of 06, we have never had a negative month.

We are thinking of offering our complete business plan to others around the country. We are kicking around holding seminars at our club where attendees will be able to get chapter and verse on setting up a successful club in their state.

Feel free to visit our website at http://www.metrocigar.com.

Roscoe
For the Metropolitan Society
http://www.metrocigar.com

[eriksson20]

cheers Roscoe, this is the things i am raging for.

mikko

[weetone]

That looks like a beautiful setup that you have got there. Wow.

[ChasDen]

Originally Posted by roscoe

Good post...Here's our story....

Feel free to visit our website at http://www.metrocigar.com.

Roscoe
For the Metropolitan Society
http://www.metrocigar.com

WOW very nice Society you have going there. I sure wish I knew of a place like that in Northeast Ohio.

I spent some time over the last few months checking out all the cigar shops and “dens” I could find and was very disappointed. Mostly I just found old guys sitting around playing cards smoking stuff that can only be described as manure.

Chas

[roscoe]

Hey Chas.....thanks for the kind words....If you are from Ohio you may want to get in touch with this club http://www.akroncigarclub.net/home.php.

Nice bunch of guys and I know there is talk about a private club going on.

Roscoe

[BlueHavanaII]

I am one of hundreds (thousands) of tobacconists who try to provide an establishment where service, selection and comfort are paramount. Unfortunately there are many forces aligning to eliminate my kind of shop. These include federal taxing, inequality of state taxation, anti-smoking natzis and mail order discounters. If this alignment continues, the cigar smoker will be forced to buy their heavily taxed cigars from a monopoly (e.g.-General Cigars dba Cigars International) and smoke their stogies outside (but at least 50 feet from any building)!

[ChasDen]

Originally Posted by roscoe

Hey Chas.....thanks for the kind words....If you are from Ohio you may want to get in touch with this club http://www.akroncigarclub.net/home.php.

Nice bunch of guys and I know there is talk about a private club going on.

Roscoe

Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

Chas

[Raoul in Colorado]

Originally Posted by eriksson20

Dear friends!

I am asking the help from all of my affiliates and friends, advertisers and
readers, strangers and acquintances. Please, help me in this quest for
establishing places where supply and demand can cross ways and where the
individual right for the fine smoke is cherished.

A lofty idea that isn't in the cards.....the overwhelming reality is the fact smokers, all smokers, have been reduced to hunted pray by the sanctimonious anti-smoking camp who derive sadistic, self righteous pleasure in causing pain and suffering on those who smoke. The die was cast when society, and its political institutions, were banboozled into accepting the false premise that secondhand smoke posed a significant mortal danger to the public. Smokers chose to stick their heads into the sand rather than fight against this false premise, and are now paying the consequences. In my view, it is only a matter of time until smoking, all smoking, is taxed out of existence, or prohibited outright by law....I hope I'm wrong.

[Teninx]

Originally Posted by Raoul in Colorado

A lofty idea that isn't in the cards.....the overwhelming reality is the fact smokers, all smokers, have been reduced to hunted pray by the sanctimonious anti-smoking camp who derive sadistic, self righteous pleasure in causing pain and suffering on those who smoke. The die was cast when society, and its political institutions, were banboozled into accepting the false premise that secondhand smoke posed a significant mortal danger to the public. Smokers chose to stick their heads into the sand rather than fight against this false premise, and are now paying the consequences. In my view, it is only a matter of time until smoking, all smoking, is taxed out of existence, or prohibited outright by law....I hope I'm wrong.

Such a bleak scenario, and so true as well. Municipalities have attempted to pass home-rule ordinaces that outlaw all tobacco use on public property. In some California towns, smoking in private residences is illegal when the home is in multi-unit housing. The workplace prohibition against smoking has been extended to long-haul truckers smoking alone in thier cabs under the premise that the truck is a place of business. I live in New Hampshire, the 'Live Free Or Die' state, and even this formerly independent place has passed anti-smoking laws applying to bars and restaraunts.

Ya know what? I'm a considerate, respectful individual. I would never knowingly inflict my cigar smoke upon a non-smoker and I'll take any pains to keep my smoke away from anyone who finds it objectionable. However, the next time some self-righteous tree-hugging vegan screed crosses the street to accost me in my own driveway for enjoying an Anejo, I'll only barely restrain myself from breeching the peace.