72
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
JULY/AUGUST 2014
W
eather is always the wild
card for a successful cigar
event,
especially
when
you’re banking on patrons enjoying an
outdoor patio. A recent Torano tasting
held by Smoker’s Haven was a case in
point: cigar smokers struggled to keep
their stogies lit, let alone their food on
plates and their plates on tables, during
an inordinately windy night.
“We’ve never been rained out, but
last night we got a little bit winded
out,” reported Ave Malkin, manager
of the chain’s Metuchen, New Jersey
store, which co-hosted the event with
a sister location in Matawan. Despite
the gusty weather, more than 50
patrons persevered, managing to enjoy
appetizers and cigars on the Brown
Stone Grill’s spacious patio.
Minus the wind, these evening events
are a regular occurrence for Smoker’s
Haven, with at least four tastings or
dinners held every year, most frequently
at the Brown StoneGrill,a cigar-friendly
local restaurant. “We supply cigars,
and they supply a table of appetizers,”
explains Malkin, who says that tastings
usually run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and
people flow in and out over that time
period. “We have a great relationship
with them, which is important because
in states like New Jersey there are fewer
and fewer places cigar smokers can go.
State law permits smoking outdoors, so
the patio there is ideal.”
Events usually feature a new line
for a vendor or a new vendor for the
store. The April event, for example,
featured three cigars: a Torano Reserva
Selecta, a Torano Vault Red Label, and
a Leccia Black for a total retail value
of about $25. “We try to include a
mild-, a medium- and a full-bodied
cigar,” explains Malkin, who notes that
the store uses an early bird pricing
program to encourage customers to
commit to attending. “If you sign up
more than a month before the event, the
cost is $26; between a month before to
three days before the event it’s $30, and
then it goes to $35 for the last three days
or at the door. The three-tier approach
helps us [with] get[ting] people to
commit in advance so [that] we aren’t in
a situation where we’re hosting an event
and only three people show up.”
The store also offers specials on
featured manufacturers at the event and
door prizes, all of which help to boost
attendance—which,in turn,boosts store
traffic. “A lot of our customers bring
guests with them and some of those
friends then become new customers,”
says Malkin. “It’s a great way to get the
word out.”
TBI
By Jennifer Gelfand
Smoker’s Haven
Hosts Torano
Tasting
Cigar tastings and dinners draw a big
crowd for this New Jersey retail chain.
