62 / 102
competition. You have to do things that give customers
an experience; you have to expand it beyond just coming
in and getting a deal.”
Food elements are another creative value to add to
events. For example, Roberts sometimes brings in lo-
cal food trucks for his cigar happenings. “You have to
know your clientele,” he says. “We have more of a work-
ing-class clientele, so food trucks are a really good fit for
us. We’ve done lobster, tacos and barbecue, which seem
to attract a lot of people. We’ve also done Asian cuisine,
which is good, too. The trucks park right outside and it’s
easy—it also supports other local businesses, which adds
even more value.”
Blue Ridge Tobacco aims for higher-end, sit-down
meals at its monthly cigar dinners, charging $120 a plate,
which also includes a 25 percent coupon on cigar prod-
ucts purchased at the dinner. The first part of the event is
in-store from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with recent participating
cigar manufacturers, such as Bill Sherman of Nat Sher-
man, drawing a crowd to “chit-chat,” as Armstrong puts
it. The dinner is then held off-site from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Fifteen customers signed up for the Nat Sherman dinner
event; Armstrong considers this a “good-sized group.”
Nolan brings in food and drink to his limited cigar
events with the intent of “catering to the local cigar
clubs.” He reasons that if the FDA regulations stay as
they are, seriously limiting new products, there will be
a dramatic downturn to the industry. If there is no new
cigar products to draw customers to events, creative food
and drink may get them there.
[ 58 ]
TOBACCO BUSINESS
[
MAY
/
JUNE
|
17 ]
You have to
know your
clientele. We
have more of a
working-class
clientele, so
food trucks are
a really good
fit for us.