Another one bites the dust "The Tobacco Shop" in Hartford to close
- Thread starter hfdpipe
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
Is there not a chance of relocation? I'm unfamiliar with (I'm assuming)Connecticut's policies? This seems very unfortunate if both or either store is going out of business due to rent hikes.
A similar rent hike happened to a friend of mine. The idea was to drive him out. I believe his rent was raised so the "Chain Store" in the adjacent property could absorb the space. His solution. Buy his own property, and establish a land mark.
I would imagine, trying to get a pipe store going at another location would be a pain in the ass.Connecticut is pretty tough on the smoking culture, a Hookah application was just shot down the other day.
Seems like lots of old timers just lose the energy to fight on, and cash in their chips, and I dont blame them. Between Laws, Taxes,and increasing rent it makes little sense as a business model in an ever increasing hostile environment.
I quit tobacco (cigs and chew) for 5 years , so by the time I started pipe smoking I was out of the Hartford area, but if I was still there this place wold have been my local stop for my baccy needs.
Seems like lots of old timers just lose the energy to fight on, and cash in their chips, and I dont blame them. Between Laws, Taxes,and increasing rent it makes little sense as a business model in an ever increasing hostile environment.
I quit tobacco (cigs and chew) for 5 years , so by the time I started pipe smoking I was out of the Hartford area, but if I was still there this place wold have been my local stop for my baccy needs.
Hey Hfdpipe,
The store is The Briary.
There are several photos in the Photos of you Local B&M sting.
I suggest you brace your self... there are a couple pictures with William in them. :D
The store is The Briary.
There are several photos in the Photos of you Local B&M sting.
I suggest you brace your self... there are a couple pictures with William in them. :D
lol, yeah the Briary cool place, I've been to his website before. I'm not positive, but I think I have heard him in a podcast somewhere.
Edit: Lawrence; Maybe you heard it here:
Raymond Lykin/ Birmingham0irish
Edit: Lawrence; Maybe you heard it here:
Raymond Lykin/ Birmingham0irish
Hfdpipe thought you might over look this I added it to your post, but have had second thoughts about it.
I don't understand the logic behind this, but then again most of the people I know who own businesses are not the smartest people either...they are just human I guess. The local strip shopping center last year doubled their rent,,,yep, doubled, so half the tenants shut down their stores, and a year later, all those places are still empty. Income or no income...I don't get it. :crazy:
Lawrence,....after mentioning your friend and that quaint little B&M, I checked out the websight, got on the phone and talked to Skip for about 20 minutes, (he said to tell you "hello")! Here's the kicker, I just placed a bulk order of some tobacco,....well....I'll PM you. Thanks!
A sad day. I grew up in West Harford and bought many a tin of Balkan Sobranie and Capstan back in the 1960s at those shops. I bought my first Pete and my first Dunhill there over 40 years ago. A crying shame.
Greetings all,
Sad to hear that another tobacconist has closed. This seems to be a daily occurrence.
As the former owner of a tobacco shop, Village Smoke Shop in Scottsdale, AZ, I know the feeling. I shut my doors in 2005, after a 10 year run. I leased a space ($3200 mo. base rent), and after ever increasing rent and CAM fees, encroaching competition, and an uncooperative landlord, I finally decided to throw in the towel and close. I did learn a few things, though.
In this day and age, in order to have a chance at success in the tobacco business, you absolutely MUST OWN THE BUILDING! Preferably a stand alone structure. You must control your overhead expenses. Under my lease agreement, my rent automatically increased 5% per year. Maintainence, taxes, and insurance increased also. If I didn't grow the business by at least 5% a year, I would lose money, and I did.
Almost all successful tobacconists existing today own the real estate. Iwan Ries, McCranies, Edward's and Stag here in CO. All own their buildings.
The days of renting a space in a strip mall are over. Most landlords won't rent to a tobacco shop anymore because of odor complaints from other tenants.
Add all of the above, along with ever increasing taxes, smoking bans, and the coming FDA regulations, and it's amazing anyone is in the business anymore. Sad days, indeed.
The internet is the only affordable place to conduct business anymore, tobacco wise. For now. But that will change too, sorry to say.
Sorry to be a turd in the punchbowl, but this is the reality of the tobacco business in these "enlightened" times.
Stock up, and stack deep. And patronize your local tobacconist, while you still can.
CACooper
Sad to hear that another tobacconist has closed. This seems to be a daily occurrence.
As the former owner of a tobacco shop, Village Smoke Shop in Scottsdale, AZ, I know the feeling. I shut my doors in 2005, after a 10 year run. I leased a space ($3200 mo. base rent), and after ever increasing rent and CAM fees, encroaching competition, and an uncooperative landlord, I finally decided to throw in the towel and close. I did learn a few things, though.
In this day and age, in order to have a chance at success in the tobacco business, you absolutely MUST OWN THE BUILDING! Preferably a stand alone structure. You must control your overhead expenses. Under my lease agreement, my rent automatically increased 5% per year. Maintainence, taxes, and insurance increased also. If I didn't grow the business by at least 5% a year, I would lose money, and I did.
Almost all successful tobacconists existing today own the real estate. Iwan Ries, McCranies, Edward's and Stag here in CO. All own their buildings.
The days of renting a space in a strip mall are over. Most landlords won't rent to a tobacco shop anymore because of odor complaints from other tenants.
Add all of the above, along with ever increasing taxes, smoking bans, and the coming FDA regulations, and it's amazing anyone is in the business anymore. Sad days, indeed.
The internet is the only affordable place to conduct business anymore, tobacco wise. For now. But that will change too, sorry to say.
Sorry to be a turd in the punchbowl, but this is the reality of the tobacco business in these "enlightened" times.
Stock up, and stack deep. And patronize your local tobacconist, while you still can.
CACooper
Makes me sad to see another one go! I have missed all the old shops in Houston that are no longer there. I miss the aromas and the atmosphere. It's not the same online.
Wow this is a crying shame... I wish that it didn't have to happen, maybe we should all call up the owner and offer to buy his remaining stock of everything, start his retirement in the plus!
This really sucks. I live in Wethersfield and tried to stop at the Tobacco Shop one day but the parking was a nightmare. I circled the block three times before giving up. There really aren't a lot of GOOD shops in CT that I know of, at least not for pipe related stuff.
Deyomatic, you're right: it does suck.
I remember an old-time tobacco shop in the city where I grew up --many, many years ago. The shop was downtown on a busy street corner. There was meter-parking on the street but I guess it relied on walk-up business.
It's where I bought my first pipe and a pack of Cherry Blend.
The joint smelled great. It had all kinds of packaged tobacco and large glass jars of blends. And it sold newspapers from all over the country. And it had a soda fountain and served coffee and sandwiches. I used to go there every week to buy tobacco and read the headlines from the various papers.
It's long gone and really so is the downtown. No locally-owned department stores, clothing stores, drug stores or small shops. They're out of business or they were bought out and relocated in the mall.
I miss those days.
So every time a small tobacco shop bites the dust -- whether it's in Hartford or Denver -- we lose another slice of Americana.
Sure, we can buy our pipe tobacco online or get the drug store store blends at chain retailers, but it's not the same.
Not even close.
I remember an old-time tobacco shop in the city where I grew up --many, many years ago. The shop was downtown on a busy street corner. There was meter-parking on the street but I guess it relied on walk-up business.
It's where I bought my first pipe and a pack of Cherry Blend.
The joint smelled great. It had all kinds of packaged tobacco and large glass jars of blends. And it sold newspapers from all over the country. And it had a soda fountain and served coffee and sandwiches. I used to go there every week to buy tobacco and read the headlines from the various papers.
It's long gone and really so is the downtown. No locally-owned department stores, clothing stores, drug stores or small shops. They're out of business or they were bought out and relocated in the mall.
I miss those days.
So every time a small tobacco shop bites the dust -- whether it's in Hartford or Denver -- we lose another slice of Americana.
Sure, we can buy our pipe tobacco online or get the drug store store blends at chain retailers, but it's not the same.
Not even close.
- Status