Cigar Lounges Flourish; Pipe Shops Disappear

[LeafErikson]

I know someone that owns two every successful cigar lounges / bars here in my area, there is a lot of money to be made, and they draw from multiple demographics from the successful guys that want to go out and buy high end sticks to show off, to the old time smokers, to hipsters and everything in between. When i was caring for my niece I was in that lounge every day, smoking and working from there for almost 2 years, many different groups of guys would herf (meet up there) on their special days of the week, they are a very social environment where everyone talks to everyone with no barriers, the cigars bring people together. Also kind of interesting is while a lot of females have always smoked cigars it's actually becoming more popular with the ladies and the cigar lounge close to me has a monthly ladies group that meets, drinks, has cigars and does their thing, that group when from 4 or 5 people to about 30 on an average meeting night now.

A very good cigar friend once told me cigars are what brought us all together, but it's the friendships that keep us together.

I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting opinions from people that rarely or never hang out in cigar lounges lol

Edit: Ive never in decades of smoking cigars seen anyone "check out bands to see if they were the right ones". Most people take the bands off because no one cares, i've seen people smoking cuban davidoffs sitting talking to guys smoking Acids and never once cared, but whatever.

I really enjoyed reading this anecdote man. Thanks for sharing. Sometimes I wish pipes were as common as cigars but then they’d probably start taxing us to hell

 

[AJL67]

I really enjoyed reading this anecdote man. Thanks for sharing. Sometimes I wish pipes were as common as cigars but then they’d probably start taxing us to hell

I was in KC for the entire month of November and there was a cigar shop about an $8 uber ride from me so when it was freezing cold i would head there on the weekends to watch smoke and watch football, Outlaw cigar, there were different rooms in the place, it was large, so i would sit in the back room, about 20 big comfy seats and a big table with chairs and 3 big screen tvs, i sat right in the middle area, think of a U shape, I was the token white guy in that back room, right off the bat i was everyone's friend like i had been smoking with these guys for years, didn't help or hurt maybe that i was a Raiders fan surrounded by KC fans (and a Cowboys fan), I had more fun with those guys every Sunday that you can imagine. I have some pics of us all somewhere because you wouldn't believe it LOL ... my favorite comment was the Cowboys fan telling all the KC guy "ya'll look like you work at mutha f*ckin McDonalds"... i never laughed so hard in my life, everyone decked out in red, black and yellow. Lots of big gold diamond rings and watches, one dude work an all red vest, black pants and even red shoes... "looking like a millionaire and you aint even no hundraire"... seriously good time. That's always been my experience at cigar lounges, it's the great equalizer.

This guy was hilarious

 

[cosmicfolklore]

you can just walk into a cigar shop for the first time, buy a stick, and smoke it. There’s not much of a learning curve.

But, you can’t just walk in buy your first pipe and have a meaningful experience. Who’s first pipe smoke was ever the most wonderful experience? If so, that’s not usual.
Most of us had to practice a bit on our own to get it down.

I think of pipes as having to learn an instrument to make music. Cigars is like clicking on the radio to get your music.

 

[NomadOrb]

The cigar industry also has way better marketing than the pipe industry.

 

[AJL67]

They only thing they have in common is burning leaves.

 

[bullet08]

There you go. Pipe smoking is just too much commitment for the new generations of pampered, instant gratification individuals. Therefore less pipe smokers, less money, less business catering to pipe smoking. While convenience of cigar is more suited to current population and more cigar lounges.

 

[LeafErikson]

I was in KC for the entire month of November and there was a cigar shop about an $8 uber ride from me so when it was freezing cold i would head there on the weekends to watch smoke and watch football, Outlaw cigar, there were different rooms in the place, it was large, so i would sit in the back room, about 20 big comfy seats and a big table with chairs and 3 big screen tvs, i sat right in the middle area, think of a U shape, I was the token white guy in that back room, right off the bat i was everyone's friend like i had been smoking with these guys for years, didn't help or hurt maybe that i was a Raiders fan surrounded by KC fans (and a Cowboys fan), I had more fun with those guys every Sunday that you can imagine. I have some pics of us all somewhere because you wouldn't believe it LOL ... my favorite comment was the Cowboys fan telling all the KC guy "ya'll look like you work at mutha f*ckin McDonalds"... i never laughed so hard in my life, everyone decked out in red, black and yellow. Lots of big gold diamond rings and watches, one dude work an all red vest, black pants and even red shoes... "looking like a millionaire and you aint even no hundraire"... seriously good time. That's always been my experience at cigar lounges, it's the great equalizer.

This guy was hilarious

View attachment 202960

Haha that sounds awesome man. Sounds a lot like some of the times I had in atlanta when I lived there. Dude in the red was really out here dressed like Cedric the entertainer

Football related antecdote..
In around 2010 my mom was going to get her haircut at a nice salon in Atlanta and I decided to tag along. About 30 minutes into her haircut in walks Matt Ryan to pick up his wife. Literally nobody in the entire salon recognized him except me. I talked to him about the upcoming season and wished him good luck. He was a super chill dude.

 

[AJL67]

There you go. Pipe smoking is just too much commitment for the new generations of pampered, instant gratification individuals. Therefore less pipe smokers, less money, less business catering to pipe smoking. While convenience of cigar is more suited to current population and more cigar lounges.

Most of the people i see in cigar lounge are 40s, 50s, 60s even and i have seen a lot of younger guys getting into pipes as well, hell you see it here even.

... you also forgot to yell "get off my lawn you damn kids!" lol

 

[AJL67]

That would be a great poll but i guess no polls, just an age poll would be interesting here.

 

[LeafErikson]

I see conjecture sometimes on this forum about pipe smokers and their age. It would be super cool to ascertain actual statistics on that stuff but I’m not sure if we ever will, or how that data would even be collected.

 

[warren]

I would suspect the larger producers of blends, pipes, cigars, cigarettes, etc have done their demographic collections. Probably do so with regularity. They know their customer's, wants and such.

For us, it might answer to our curiosity but, serve no other purpose. I'm guessing our membership skews to middle-age. That most, or at least a substantial number of new members hang around no longer than a year ... at most. And, anecdotal only, most new pipe smokers don't last six months before turning to the next "hobby." Serious pipe smokers probably hang around a while but, hobbyists? They dabble and move on to satisfy the next urge. Similar to the folks who purchase an exercise machine of some sorts, with every intention of using it regularly, and in less than six months the machine is only used for hanging clothes on.

Oh, and we've been known to run off a few noobs.

 

[bullet08]

I would suspect the larger producers of blends, pipes, cigars, cigarettes, etc have done their demographic collections. Probably do so with regularity. They know their customer's, wants and such.

For us, it might answer to our curiosity but, serve no other purpose. I'm guessing our membership skews to middle-age. That most, or at least a substantial number of new members hang around no longer than a year ... at most. And, anecdotal only, most new pipe smokers don't last six months before turning to the next "hobby." Serious pipe smokers probably hang around a while but, hobbyists? They dabble and move on to satisfy the next urge. Similar to the folks who purchase an exercise machine of some sorts, with every intention of using it regularly, and in less than six months the machine is only used for hanging clothes on.

Oh, and we've been known to run off a few noobs.

We don't run off newbies. They just lack the nicotine in their blood to withstand few nice kicks their (put your favorite body part).

 

[warren]

I should clarify, only noobs who are contentious or, have some sort of agenda to rile the more civil members. They know who they are, the civil ones I mean. The rest of us? We are too thick skinned to know when we aren't wanted, oblivious in fact.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I know someone that owns two every successful cigar lounges / bars here in my area, there is a lot of money to be made, and they draw from multiple demographics from the successful guys that want to go out and buy high end sticks to show off, to the old time smokers, to hipsters and everything in between. When i was caring for my niece I was in that lounge every day, smoking and working from there for almost 2 years, many different groups of guys would herf (meet up there) on their special days of the week, they are a very social environment where everyone talks to everyone with no barriers, the cigars bring people together. Also kind of interesting is while a lot of females have always smoked cigars it's actually becoming more popular with the ladies and the cigar lounge close to me has a monthly ladies group that meets, drinks, has cigars and does their thing, that group when from 4 or 5 people to about 30 on an average meeting night now.

A very good cigar friend once told me cigars are what brought us all together, but it's the friendships that keep us together.

I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting opinions from people that rarely or never hang out in cigar lounges lol

Edit: Ive never in decades of smoking cigars seen anyone "check out bands to see if they were the right ones". Most people take the bands off because no one cares, i've seen people smoking cuban davidoffs sitting talking to guys smoking Acids and never once cared, but whatever.

Did those lounges have a liquor license? Kind of a game changer in terms of revenue and profit. And somethung very few Pure tobacco shops have. And these cigar lounge mostly sell Cigars one at a time at highly inflated prices. I've been to a number of these lounges, in several cities, and really enjoyed them. I would always buy a couple of the expensive Cigars in return for them allowing me to smoke a pipe.

The majority of smokers in these type of establishes are not hard core. They're recreational smokers. Due to the learning curve, I'd hardly consider pipes recreational. I also look at it similar to what i do to smoking while playing golf. Drop a cigar and damage it, no big deal. Light it a couple of times, you're through the whole cigar. Drop a pipe or have it stolen, different story. And much higher maintenance. In other words, it takes a commitment to smoke a pipe while a cigar is mostly a no brainer. Who wants to be fiddling with a pipe when your primary objective is to get drunk and get laid?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I was in KC for the entire month of November and there was a cigar shop about an $8 uber ride from me so when it was freezing cold i would head there on the weekends to watch smoke and watch football, Outlaw cigar, there were different rooms in the place, it was large, so i would sit in the back room, about 20 big comfy seats and a big table with chairs and 3 big screen tvs, i sat right in the middle area, think of a U shape, I was the token white guy in that back room, right off the bat i was everyone's friend like i had been smoking with these guys for years, didn't help or hurt maybe that i was a Raiders fan surrounded by KC fans (and a Cowboys fan), I had more fun with those guys every Sunday that you can imagine. I have some pics of us all somewhere because you wouldn't believe it LOL ... my favorite comment was the Cowboys fan telling all the KC guy "ya'll look like you work at mutha f*ckin McDonalds"... i never laughed so hard in my life, everyone decked out in red, black and yellow. Lots of big gold diamond rings and watches, one dude work an all red vest, black pants and even red shoes... "looking like a millionaire and you aint even no hundraire"... seriously good time. That's always been my experience at cigar lounges, it's the great equalizer.

This guy was hilarious

View attachment 202960

I spent a man month per year, for five years, in Birmingham, AL where we had an orifice. Similar experience to yours. Started going into Cigars and More and felt immediately welcome. Had a great time and formed some great friendships.

 

[Oddball]

My dad had a boss that said : "Never hire a pipe smoker, they spend too much time screwing with that pipe..."

While it may be a bit off topic it may lean into the bias a little. Pipes are the longest and most involved form of smoking tobacco. That for me, is a big reason why I enjoy it...

Its funny, Pipe smoking makes me think of wizards and Bing Crosby, while Cigar smoking makes me think of Babe Ruth and the Mafia... I guess macho idolization is in the eye of the beholder.

My local B&M has a humidor and cigars are enjoyed there more than pipes, despite it being a pipe shop first, second, and third...

 

[Grangerous]

Poker anecdote. It’s what happened to 7 Card Stud when television made Texas Hold Em all the rage.

Like Pipes vs Cigars, 7 Stud is a thinking man’s game and far superior to “playing percentages and luck”. Today, you can’t find a casino offering 7 Stud and if you can, it’s a ring full of old timers that know the game and it’s a grind.

Cigars are easy. Easy sells.

 

[rmbittner]

I spent a man month per year, for five years, in Birmingham, AL where we had an orifice.

Don Muertos, is that you…?

 

[pappymac]

In the small town I live in, Slidell, La., a place opened last year named Whiskey & Ash. They have a "whiskey menu" of over 100 different bottles, a walk in humidor where the cigars start around $7 and a small selection of pipe tobacco. Both cigar and pipe smokers are welcomed.

They also have a big sign painted on the door: No cigarette or Vape Devices Allowed.

 

[rmbittner]

Cigar smoking makes me think of Babe Ruth and the Mafia.

Yeah, when I think of Old Hollywood stereotypes, the pipe smokers are the wise detectives, the desirable suitors, the witty writers, the brilliant professors. Cigars were what the gangsters and sleazy businessmen smoked. (With the exception of Groucho Marx.)