Tobacco Shop/Lounge Etiquette

[smeigs]

I feel as long as you support them or have supported them then there should be no issue really. For example, I have been going to my local BM for about 5 years on a regular basis. I have spent thousands of dollars there over the years. Sometimes I just walk in and buy a drink and sit down with the rest of the guys and smoke. They all know me by name and know that everything I am smoking is from their store haha. I usually always end up buying something after I finish my smoke and talk/TV show or game.

 

[derfatdutchman]

I agree make a purchase, it supports a local business and keeps one of the shrinking number places we can smoke open.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

If I'm going to hang out and meet up with some friends I always at least buy a tin or a few ounces of bulk tobacco either on the way in or the way out. From my experiences it seems that's acceptable compensation for using their lounge.

 

[warren]

Depends on the owner I suppose. When younger I became friends with an tobacconist (two man shop). I never tipped. I'd look around and see what needed to be done that he had been unable to get to. I sometimes emptied the ash trays, made a pot of coffee. More than once, if I was there early in the day, I got the vacuum out.
I would never contemplate this if I was at IRC's lounge but, it was perfect way to repay the hospitality of my friend in his small shop. In a larger commercial operation I'd grab a cigar or pouch before enjoying myself. I'd also watch to see how other denizens handled themselves.
Forgot this, sometimes I'd bring a dozen fat pills.

 

[psychpipes]

I haven't done it really since I converted to pipes. I used to use the smoking lounge when I smoked cigars. I would buy a premium cigar based on a recommendation from the shop owner. I'd smoke it in the lounge. If I liked it, I bought a second to put in my humidor. If I didn't, I bought something else I liked. Trying the new cigar each time gave me a conversation piece. Most brick and mortars I've been in like it when people come in and stay. It makes their business look good, and encourages others to come in and relax. If I were to do the same thing as a pipe smoker, I would probably buy a tin or one of the house blends and that would be sufficient. Like some have said above, buying a bigger item warrants a few freebie stays in my book. The first pipe I bought was a Peterson Rocky Donegal #69 from a brick and mortar. I was given a full pipe of a house blend 1Q copy, and was asked if I wanted to do an inaugural smoke.

 

[brass]

IMO, if you buy most or all of your tobacco and supplies from the B&M, then you needn't buy something every-time you enter the shop. OTH, I'm not going to the shop unless I want to buy something, so it isn't very relevant to me.
DON'T go to the lounge and smoke cigars or tobacco you bought off the Internet, for the same reason you don't bring your own food to a restaurant and use their table and electricity.
Nothing burns up an owner more than some nit coming in taking up space and smoking sticks purchased from the Internet. And I can't blame them.
We have a half dozen or more lounges around the DC area but the oldest and probably nicest is W. Curtis Draper. Used to brown bag there and store your liquor in lockers, until the jackboots sent under-cover police.
Apparently, they were legal but the practice offended the cops's sensibilities and an anonymous snitch. They intimated the practice should stop or there would consequences, albeit, unrelated to the issue.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

@warren What is a fat pill?

 

[warren]

A doughnut. Ahhhh, doughnuts. Now I have to drive down off the mountain and visit the bakery.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha ha!! I could use one of those too.

 

[username]

Pretty much "dont be a dick".

 

[settersbrace]

The shop I work in has a few pipe smokers that come in at lunch time for a bowl and they buy at least once a month. We are a pipe and cigar business with cigars taking in the lions share and if you walk in smoking a cigar it hopefully is one you bought another time. If the pattern persists and that person never buys a cigar and is just using our lounge, something will be said. Pipe smokers are different in there's less of them, we know that and try our best to keep them feeling welcome.

 

[ssjones]

I'm in an odd situation with my local shop, where my new pipe club meets. It is a wonderful lounge and a terrific place to hang out for a few hours. They are almost completely cigar-centric. Folks can buy memberships which includes a locker and 24 hour key-card access to the lounge.
My problem is that currently, they have almost zero pipe blends and they ones they have are all aromatic. We are working with the owner (one of two) to add some additional pipe inventory. I'm not a cigar fan but bought some on my last trip and sent them to a friend.
I do feel it is important to make a purchase when using the amenities of a shop. Plenty of guys in the club do buy cigars, so I suppose the overall club effect for the shop is positive. The other evening, I didn't feel like looking thru the cigar inventory for brands of which I had no clue. So, I slipped a $10 bill under the corner of the cash register and said thanks for the hospitality.

 

[carytobacco]

Great points by everyone. I think a distinction should be made between when you first start hanging out in a shop versus when you've become a regular after a while.
I recommend making a purchase your first few times there to show that you are supporting the business and not just taking up space in the lounge. And while you shouldn't feel the need to buy $100 worth of tobacco, don't buy an ounce of 1-q and pay with your debit card.
Once you've made a few purchases and shown (not told) that you will support the shop, you can usually feel free to hang out without having to buy something every time, depending on frequently you visit the shop. If you visit once a week, that's probably enough to warrant buying something. But if you go three times a week, you probably don't need to buy something every time. If you bought a tin yesterday and you're bringing it back in 2 days later to smoke, no big deal. If you buy a 100g tin and 3 months later you're nursing the same tin every time you come in, that's going to be a problem.
If you're free-riding, just because the owner or staff doesn't say something to you doesn't mean that he/they don't have a problem with what you're doing. Some people do the "if he didn't like it he'd say something to me" math, and that's unlikely to happen unless he's really pissed or in a bad mood. For one, he doesn't want to piss of any customers, regardless of how much or little you buy. Also, it may turn off other customers (really good ones) that observe and make the owner look bad. However, as another poster stated, you are more likely to catch flak from other customers than from the owner or staff. A guy that comes in and drops $50 in cigars is not going to take kindly to the guy that walks in with his pipe tobacco that he bought online.

 

[mso489]

Like most human relations, you have to adapt to the situation. If the place is crowded, you might feel more obligated

to buy something even if it's just two ounces of bulk. If the place is crowded, and people seem to be actively shopping,

and you don't want to purchase anything, then maybe don't hang out long, just to clear the way for the active shoppers. However,

if you are a regular customer and there are few people there, you can hang out at will. It makes the place look popular, and

it may be clear from your conversation with the staff that you are a regular, and that may stimulate others to purchase items.

If the place is empty, likewise, hang out at will to keep the staff company; often this is the best time for questions and

discussions, no purchase necessary. Stay out of the way if staff is working, but otherwise, chat at will. If you can recommend

a tobacco or pipe to a customer, that helps the shop. But don't badger people. It takes some customers a long time and maybe

several visits to make a purchase.

 

[hitman]

Great advice all.
Cigar & Tabac in Overland Park, Kansas is the B&M I have been visiting every couple weeks. They are very supportive of pipers and host the Greater KC Pipe Club monthly meetings. I stopped in Friday to celebrate IPSD. I bought a couple ounces of a really nice English, McNaughton's Blend, that they mix up locally. The lounge was packed with folks, so I smoked a bowl and a half and cleared out after thanking the staff and complimenting the recommendation. Good company in the lounge and helpful staff. Highly recommended if you're in the area.
-Don

 

[settersbrace]

I'm trying to hold back a little on this but I think it's important to just mention that if a shop does have some decent pipes to choose from and let's say an even more awesome tobacco selection along with their cigar business, they exist to support pipe smokers. They could just as easily convert the seldom visited pipe and tobacco floor space into additional facings for cigars. The reality is they are open to pipe smokers patronizing them at whatever capacity the regional demographic supports. No business, no sense propping up a dead horse, see where I'm going? You want to win over a shop owner? Buy a mid range or high end pipe from THAT place instead of some deep discount E-tailer even if it's one, maybe two every year or so if it's something you can afford to do. Tobacco purchases are just as important. So many complete strangers will walk in and ask if we have Penzance, when we say, uhh, no, they ask when do you think you'll have some. If that same person bought a reasonable amount of tinned or bulk blend from us and really, really wanted some of the big P, we'd find a way to get them some. No shop around today can for a second believe that can compete with online pipe dealers, it's either get in and go head to head, which costs money or draw customers in with friendly, personal service that makes them feel at home and an ample supply of the necessities required of real pipe shop.

 

[woodsroad]

A while back, my wife and I heard some odd noises down in the basement. It didn't sound like the well pump or the boiler, so I investigated and found a bunch of these flapper freeloaders down there, puffing away. They hadn't even bothered to kick in a six or a Pizza Hut pie or anything. I kicked their sad asses outa' there

 

[lunchie]

I am a bit jealous. The tobacco place in town lets you smoke but their lounge is plastic yard furniture in a corner :lol:.
The closest lounge to me, 40 miles away, tailors to hooka, vaping and cigars. They don't carry any pipe stuff but I never seen a sign saying 'no pipes allowed'. They have nice leather furniture, wifi and a big tv. Man, that sounds like an excellent way to spend an afternoon. I may have to one of these days.

 

[settersbrace]

A while back, my wife and I heard some odd noises down in the basement. It didn't sound like the well pump or the boiler, so I investigated and found a bunch of these flapper freeloaders down there, puffing away. They hadn't even bothered to kick in a six or a Pizza Hut pie or anything. I kicked their sad asses outa' there
You need to some signs put up in that basement of yours! Lol!

 

[johnnyreb]

"A while back, my wife and I heard some odd noises down in the basement. It didn't sound like the well pump or the boiler, so I investigated and found a bunch of these flapper freeloaders down there, puffing away. They hadn't even bothered to kick in a six or a Pizza Hut pie or anything. I kicked their sad asses outa' there"
Isn't that "Big Nose Kate" in the middle there?