Cigarette shop

So, I’ve got this idea for my town—it's about 100,000 people—and none of the surrounding cities have anything like it. A specialized boutique just for cigarettes. The hook would be the selection... instead of just the usual Marlboro or Camel stuff you find everywhere, I’d carry niche brands people can't get anywhere else. Even high-end Cubans, ranging from the crazy expensive ones to more standard stock. I’ve already pictured the interior of the Churchill Cigar shop in my head, and the location is perfect—the busiest spot in town.
The rent would be roughly $1,700–$0.67.
Now, I have a few questions. What do you guys think? Could this actually fly, given it's a new concept for the area and the shop would look great?
Also, what does it take to get a tobacco license... is the red tape as messy as they say?
And how much capital should I have on hand to get things moving?

Back in Washington, D.C., someone tried this exact same thing about five years ago—this concept called the Churchill Cigar shop. It was honestly too well-designed for its own good; they had a dedicated humidor and such a massive selection of cigarillos and cigarettes that you usually couldn't find all under one roof. They managed to open two locations right in the heart of the city, yet somehow, just two years later, the whole thing folded in a major metro area like D.C. So, if you ask me, you might want to take a hard look at whether this could actually fly in your neck of the woods...

but there are still a few others out there (if you count the local cigar shops)
since I’ve picked some up from them myself, I can tell you they aren't exactly packed... well, maybe not the one over by the mall since people are always drifting through there, but generally speaking, it's pretty chill
these days I just order my Dominican sticks online from the States, and honestly, it works out way cheaper than trying to find them locally
if you really want to head out and browse in person though, I can send you their website link—though I was thinking, maybe they have an online store attached to the physical location? none of the cigar shops around here seem to do that... (just a thought, I know ideas aren't free, so hit me up if you want the price details 😁 ))

The location is pretty fuzzy here. Based on the mileage mentioned, I’m guessing it might be somewhere in the Midwest, but then the way you describe things sounds totally different...
As far as I can tell, both globally and across the States, there's this massive downward trend regarding smoking in general, and don't even get me started on the distribution side of things.
They won't let you smoke in coffee shops anymore, though they are starting to open up these "smoking lounges" modeled after those little oasis-style spots you see in certain cities. Honestly, I'm not sure if there's even enough profitability in being a supplier to those kinds of bars, assuming they even pop up around here.
But you really have to consider that taxes on these types of products just keep climbing higher and higher; there's constant pressure from regulators, though it's still unclear to me who actually walks away with the most profit. It’s painfully obvious to the naked eye that the bulk of the burden falls squarely on the smoker—I mean, that's why they call it a habit...
And then there's the advertising, which is also strictly prohibited and heavily regulated.
Sure, there are ways around it, but that enters the realm of mission-impossible when it comes to business communications.
That’s exactly why I liked your idea about using the internet. It’s the easiest path, but man, it requires a killer concept!
Regarding those exclusive *Cuban* cigars... I think you really need to nail down the customer profile. These consumers are incredibly demanding, frankly spoiled, and they live in a completely different reality. They either want to be the boss or they act like it, and you probably aren't the one they look to for that authority—or maybe they're just romantics, "connoisseurs" chasing that fine smoke drifting through the air like a dream.
I think you could actually pull it off by introducing some fresh, new concepts for cigars and cigarettes... perhaps some exclusive smoking rituals or methods that aren't widely known or common in our industry. People would come to you specifically because that's what you're offering: originality. They won't find that anywhere else nearby, and it would feel special enough to make them want to visit.
I don't see any other way... besides, I'm a passionate smoker myself and there's just no helping me.................

As mellowviper0 pointed out, there is just too much ambiguity here. Besides—the whole culture of smoking doesn't even exist in the States, let alone something you could build from scratch...

Your idea might actually fly if public smoking bans become even more strict—say, if you opened a cigar shop where patrons could smoke while grabbing a drink. Now *that* would be a different story entirely. I suspect we’ll see this kind of shift happening across the country as regulations tighten. It technically exists in some places already, but the laws haven't exactly been doing them any favors.

Thanks for the input, everyone—if anyone else has extra thoughts or advice to throw in, I'm all ears...

So, which city are you calling home these days?🙂

At my previous company, we actually maintained an on-site duty-free shop back when those were still permitted, boasting an incredibly vast selection of premium cigars and spirits.

The reality, however, is that only a handful of items actually move; most of the inventory just sits there for show. Occasionally, a sale happens, but essentially, the whole setup serves as little more than a glorified advertisement to make the duty-free look well-stocked.

So, I would advise you to be cautious with that idea.

I’ll just drop the link right here 😉 (hopefully nobody comes after me for spamming, I'm just sharing because I actually buy from them and they're pretty great)
http://www.cigarsforless.com/
First thing you should probably do is check what kind of taxes the government is going to squeeze out of you... I assume dealing with the IRS in the States involves a fair bit of paperwork and extra fees depending on how you set things up
And honestly, with all these recent pushes toward banning smoking everywhere, I’ve been sitting on this little business idea... I just need a solid partner and, obviously, a lawyer to tell me if it's even legal under current regulations since things seem to be shifting so fast
If anyone actually wants to get in on this, shoot me a private message 😁
It turns out vividmoose11 and I are actually thinking along the exact same lines 😁 (just finished reading about it too)
Also, I was wondering—since hookah lounges seem to be holding their own over in places like Turkey, maybe there's an opening for someone to bring that kind of vibe to our neck of the woods?

Richard Lewis16 said:I’ll just drop the link right here 😉 (hopefully nobody comes after me for spamming, I'm just sharing because I actually buy from them and they're pretty great)
http://www.cigarsforless.com/
First thing you should probably do is check what kind of taxes the government is going to squeeze out of you... I assume dealing with the IRS in the States involves a fair bit of paperwork and extra fees depending on how you set things up
And honestly, with all these recent pushes toward banning smoking everywhere, I’ve been sitting on this little business idea... I just need a solid partner and, obviously, a lawyer to tell me if it's even legal under current regulations since things seem to be shifting so fast
If anyone actually wants to get in on this, shoot me a private message 😁
It turns out vividmoose11 and I are actually thinking along the exact same lines 😁 (just finished reading about it too)
Also, I was wondering—since hookah lounges seem to be holding their own over in places like Turkey, maybe there's an opening for someone to bring that kind of vibe to our neck of the woods?

Escobar at Fifth Avenue? Flavored tobacco hookahs for everyone😉

so, does it actually have one?
I honestly had no clue, thanks for the heads up... I think I might head over there and check it out myself just to see what the deal is... 👍

Hi there! 🙂

I recently heard about this one Cigar shop. Unfortunately, all I know
is that it's located right near the American National Theater
Does anyone happen to know the EXACT location of that shop? 🤷

There’s one inside the Metropolitan Opera—you know, right when you walk in toward that little crystal ballroom—and then there's another, smaller tobacco shop over on Broadway, just off to the right if you're heading from LAFC toward Spring Street.

I'm pretty sure that Tobacco shop is over on Broadway...
Thanks!👍

there’s actually another one—personally, I think it’s even better—over near the intersection by the Lincoln Center
if you head from the theater toward Broadway and cut into the courtyard on the left side... the owner also runs that craft brewery right across the street called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which is incredibly well-kept, and if I recall correctly, they have a little sign out front for their patio area