Local Spotlight - Tobacco Store By Heath Published: Fri December 21, 2007 3:19pm PrintEmail
I recently had the privilege this month of speaking with Nasir Hayat of Tobacco Store in Ottawa, Illinois. I wanted to discuss the future of tobacco, as Illinois is going to ban smoking in public areas state wide on Jan 1, 2008, and his role in tobacco sales as a local tobacconist.
Walking in, I could see the neon signs on the window facing the parking lot, advertising tobacco being sold there. I entered and saw the cigar humidor dead ahead of me. I can see open boxes of cigars in their "display" mode, and followed the long wall of tobacco for the self roller, along with other accessories, including pipe tobacco and cleaners. At the end of the wall, Nasir keeps some cigar humidors on the shelf, and with decent prices I would call more than fair. Nasir hadn't arrived yet, so I helped myself to a tour of his walk in humidor, which I must say, was stocked with some quality products ranging from tins of Cohiba to large wood boxes of The Edge by Rocky Patel. Well humidified, the smell of fine hand rolled cigars entered my nose, and I felt at home. Nasir arrived, and we proceeded to chat...
CigarStudent.com: I see that you sell tobacco of all kinds here, are you a cigar smoker yourself?
Nasir Hayat: I wouldn't say I'm an avid cigar smoker, but every once in a while I'll have one, something not too big, maybe a 20 minute smoke here and there. I actually quit smoking about 2 months ago, but when I do have a cigar, I like something on the milder side...maybe an ACID or a Baccarat. I like the Baccarat with the sweetened tip, those are nice.
CS: I'm sure your more than aware of the smoking laws here in Illinois going into effect on Jan 1st, what exactly will be happening?
NH: There will be no public smoking in bars, clubs, that sort of thing...
CS: Will there still be smoking in tobacco shops?
NH: Oh yah, tobacco shops will be one of the only places to smoke in public. Cigar lounges, and hookah bars are up and coming in the area. I don't really compete with the hookah bars, however, that is more of a hospitality business.
CS: How will this affect your business as a tobacconist?
NH: A lot of people are upset about it, but I don't think it's going to affect me that much. People will still smoke.
CS: Obviously non-smokers do not want to have to breathe smoke when they are out and about, and smokers want to be able to enjoy tobacco as they always have. What would be your idea of an "ideal" law to put into effect for public smoking, where both sides can be happy.
NH: There has always been issues between smokers and non-smokers. There is no ideal situation, there just needs to be respect for each other. Smoking goes way back. It's an old tradition and there are so many other things polluting the air. I say spend some energy on those things. Even some healthy people get diseases, and some smokers live to be very old. There needs to be respect for each party, if I'm out with people who don't smoke, I don't smoke. I think it's more of an ethical issue than anything else. I respect them. It goes both ways, but there is no ideal situation, it's about respect.
CS: Recently, the SCHIP bill has been in the spotlight, threatening the livelyhood of tobacco wokers in the industry, including yourself. Did those talks affect your business?
NH: Now this is something that, if it's passed, will affect my business. As taxes get higher and higher, even on cigarettes, the roll your own crowd will prevail and then they will go after those people. Neighboring states have already hiked their taxes and I'm sure Illinois will.
CS: Do you think the up rise of smoking bans, especially here in Illinois on Jan 1st, will affect manufacturer's prices?
NH: Manufacturers are raising prices two to three times a year...nothing big, but it keeps going up. Christmas sales give them a big bonus at the end of the year, so they take advantage of having a higher price by the end of the year. MSA's are due every following year, and they will use the extra income to pay those.
CS: Will the manufacturers give tobacconists like yourself a break as these laws affect sales?
NH: No breaks. In fact, on Jan 1st, cigarettes have to be fire safe. Each cigarette will have tiny rings running down the length of the paper, so if you fall asleep with one lit, it will burn out if you don't puff on it. That very well may affect prices on cigarettes, as this will cost more to put into each of every cigarette.
CS: Between 1920 and 1933, during the years of the alcohol prohibition, alcohol was banned completely. Eventually, prohibition ended, and we can now enjoy alcohol again. Do you think the smoking bans will reform in the future and maybe lighten up?
NH: It's hard to say, but I don't think so. Smoking in public is something people do to relax. We can smoke at home any time we want, but people like to go out, sit down, have a nice meal, a great cigar, relax, talk, and enjoy their present company. A lot has changed over the years. We don't see the Marlboro van pulling up outside anymore, handing out T-shirts and Zippo lighters, this used to be common place. The government creates monsters they have to feed. Take the toll way for instance. Those tolls were supposed to stop after the toll way was paid for, and they are more than ever now, because they have to feed a government department somewhere. I don't think they will lighten up, but tobacco will never go away either. If the government can make money on it, they will.
CS: What do you think you have to offer as a local tobacconist compared to web retailers today.
NH: I would not get into web retailing because of the tax complications for out of state sales. I would have to keep a lot of records and I just don't see it being worth it to me. Being a local tobacconist, though, has it's advantages. Cigars are just like beer or wine, I think it's about personal taste. There's tons of cigars on the market, and the personal touch we give (local tobacconists) is that we can learn from each other (tobacconist and customers). I can educate you on a product you might not be aware of, and visa versa. You might know of something out there that I don't know about, and I can get it. For those cigar smokers who know what they want, maybe they have been smoking for years, or have tried a cigar somewhere and they know they like it, then maybe web retailers might be better for them. The rest of us continue to share new experiences of new cigars with each other. For these people, this (his shop) is better. I cater to blue collar smokers and those that are new to cigar smoking, including new brands and new cigars to seasoned cigar smokers.
As we ended our discussion, Nasir kindly invited me back at any time to enjoy a cigar, and I will take him up on it. Tobacco Shop is a nice place. The door is busy, and traffic is apparent. Nasir is right. Tobacco is an old tradition and people, to this very day, still smoke and will continue to smoke. As for me, I plan to head to Tobacco Shop for some pipe products and pipe tobacco. For more information on the location and hours of Tobacco Shop, see our retailer's links section.
Look for other Local Spotlights here on CigarStudent.com, as we plan to speak month to month with different "brick and mortar" local tobacconists around the area, and across the nation. - 894 Views - View Comments (0)
