Thinking of opening a B+M or 2

[asmartbull]

Hi Folks,
I am thinking of opening possibly 2 B+M's
One in Central NH, the other in Berlin/Ocean City MD.
My questions are simple

What are the couple things you look for most in a B+M ?

What do you like the least in a B+M ?

If you have a local/favorite B+M,,,what do you like best about it.

Thanks in advance for your replies

Alan

[jadeg001]

Something I like: any one can smoke in the lounge as long as you make a purhase.

[Jazzmunkee]

Hey good luck. I think the most important things (besides location) are selection and a pleasant atmosphere. Many B&Ms have an intimidating atmosphere (staff) and/ or a crappy selection. I'm not interested in joining a club or anything like that, but I do want to feel welcomed enough to sit down and chat even if I only come in once or twice a month. Good luck again.

[RobustBrad]

Alan,

First good luck to you on your adventure. Second make sure you get a good business plan together, that alone can uncover some of the hidden costs / surprises that you may have overlooked.

A couple things I look for in a quality B &M are the following: Competitive pricing (Don't have the be the least expensive, but try to compete with internet pricing as close as possible), Knowledgeable staff, Events held regularly, and the most important thing would be a terrific, comfortable lounge.

What I like least in a B&M: Members only lounges (HATE THE IDEA), Staff members that obviously know nothing about cigars, rude people.

I like my local B&M because their lounge (which is fantastic) is open as long as you buy a cigar from them. I personally would make it open regardless if you purchase a cigar or not. They have great pricing. They hold regular events.

Cheers,
Brad

[bdw1984]

Originally Posted by asmartbull

Hi Folks,
I am thinking of opening possibly 2 B+M's
One in Central NH, the other in Berlin/Ocean City MD.
My questions are simple

What are the couple things you look for most in a B+M ?

What do you like the least in a B+M ?

If you have a local/favorite B+M,,,what do you like best about it.

Thanks in advance for your replies

Alan

hey alan,

i look for an interesting stock #1, if u dont have what i like, why would i go to you?
i look for competitive pricing, a courteous staff, a welcoming environment and basically a placed where i can go hang for a few hours w/o any stress

as to what i like least in a b&m 1. overhumidified cigars (cant stand that!) 2. unwelcoming staff/customers (if im gonna spend my money with u, i need to feel welcomed and comfortable) 3. inflated prices (just b/c u have a good stock and regulars who will pay your high prices doesnt mean i have to)

im blessed to live in an area with many choices of b&m's... i frequent 2 of them (probably 20 within a 30 mi radius) b/c the selection is good, the atmosphere is comfortable and the customer service is exceptional... hope this helps

ben

[madurolover]

Knowledgeable staff
Proper storage
Members or locals discounts
Comfortable lounge area
And once again, knowledgeable staff (this is probably the most important to me)

Good luck if you decide to jump into this venture.

[JohnnySmokestar]

My advice is be patient however, have some moxy. I talk to my local shop owner who I visit a lot and he tells me horror stories about dealing with reps and opening various accounts. It's who you know. If you have any connections to reps or are friends with people in the business, talk to them and let them know whats going on and ask for help getting stock. If you don't have product, you can't be sucessful. So the right mix of patience and moxy is required here. You may not get what you want right away and need to keep hitting the grindstone and getting your name out there and plugging away at developing successful relationships with the people that will get you the inventory for success.

Good Luck man.

--Smokestar

[Laserjock]

I still consider myself a noob, but what I like about a couple of the places I have been in is a staff that is noob-friendly and not biased to those who shop 2-3 times a week in the place.

I think having a comfortable, roomy lounge is cool but also has to have a really good air handling system. While I like the smell of cigars I don't want to sit in a cloud the whole time.

To me, friendly is maybe the biggest plus...I would rather frequent a shop that makes you feel good to be there than one with every cigar available but arrogant or unfriendly staff.

[ericb13]

All of what came to mind has already been said, but I'll second that the environment is most important. A good lounge and nice people...that's it for me. Price can be overlooked, but not a comfortable atmosphere. Don't separate members/non-members. Do have some sort of loyalty/discount plan.

With the right people and attitude, you can charge almost any price you want. But, try to at least be competitive on the high end stuff and you can charge 10-20% more than the internet on low end stuff. Example, If I could go in and buy a Patron Anny for about what I could get it online, I'd probably buy that and several cheaper sticks...so you make your margins on average.

Good luck! Hope I helped.

[Herf N Turf]

Strippers

[Hawnted]

Most of the B&Ms I have around me (7 of them) have pretty close to the same selection in cigars. I am new to cigar smoking so I am still experimenting with tons of different sizes, brands etc. What sets them apart to me? Well, part of it is My OTHER hobby, which is beer. Few things better than a good beer.

• 3 of the 7 B&Ms automatically get taken out of my rotation because their beer selection sucks
• So that leaves 4 others. 1 of those has a member only lounge (I agree terrible idea)
• And 1 has a very small lounge with no TV
• So that leaves the other 2. I frequent both of these. One is near work, the other home. I go there to relax, have a cigar, talk to experienced smokers that can help me with selection, and watch football. All the things I love.

[commonsenseman]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Strippers

"What's that honey? Where am I going? Just going to the cigar shop to pick up a few sticks...........expect me back in, oh say six hours!"

[SureShot81]

Besides what has been mentioned, I'd have to elaborate on service. If you sell something you have to back it. One nice thing my B&M does is if you buy a humidor from them, it gets placed in the walk-in for about two weeks to season. Therefore, you do nothing. Come in, pick it up, and it is ready to go.

[Mitch]

What are the couple things you look for most in a B+M ? A sweet hang out place. If they don't have a lounge, I don't even bother to go to the cigar shop no matter how nice it is. I know one guy who has huge parties and a awesome business strategy (Check out Outlaw Cigar). They let guys come to there lounge, poker nights, parties, anything they want to come to and don't make them spend a dime (Non smokers come too). His strategy is, why would I kick someone out of my store, they are a potential customer. They may not smoke today, but they might start tomorrow. Plus if you have a friendly staff, they will become friends with your customers.

What do you like the least in a B+M? Places that act snobby, or like they are high end or too good for you. A lounge that is small or cramped. Bad ventilation and too smokey. I know why complain about smoke if your smoking a cigar. If your in a room with 10 guys all puffing a cigar with no ventilation, it gets too heavy. Dirty bathrooms are disgusting and major turn off. Overall a place that doesn't want me to be a friend.


If you have a local/favorite B+M,,,what do you like best about it. The relationships that I am building there. There are lots of places to buy cigars in KC, but I got to the Outlaw because of the atmosphere and awesome guys who are there. I smoke a pipe, and one of the workers is always giving me samples (generous samples of tin tobacco) of different pipe tobacco (This keeps me coming back, and keeps me loyal to them) I don't buy online because I am ok with spending $3 more on a tin of tobacco, just so I have a place to hang out.

[roughrider]

Great advice from these guys. Good luck with the venture.