84 TOBACCO BUSINESS | MAY / JUNE | 22 Tinnell turned a small V.I.P. area within BG Bistro that was rarely occupied into his regular hangout spot, hoping not to disturb other patrons with his cigar smoking. Tinnell learned that BG Bistro’s owner was a fan of cigars and had been looking for a way to give cigars a more permanent place within his business. Suddenly, Tinnell saw an opportunity and began communicating his own passion for cigars to the owner to explore some type of partnership. The owner went on to offer Tinnell a space within the restaurant to bring in more cigar products. While Tinnnell didn’t know much about tobacco retail at the time, he viewed this as a great opportunity to learn how to become a tobacconist. With the acceptance of this offer and challenge, Tinnell went on to open i Cigar Lounge at BG Bistro in May 2021. At the time of launch, Tinnell’s network already included many cigar smokers from all over the world. When he first started working on the concept for i Cigar, it was going to be an online virtual cigar club and community that would allow him to connect and engage with other cigar enthusiasts regularly. Knowing he already had built a network of cigar enthusiasts, Tinnell fully committed himself to building up the lounge program within BG Bistro because he knew he would have the support of his friends and also that his large network would allow him to add value to BG Bistro, which was experiencing a drop in foot traffic due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of a cigar lounge within BG Bistro brought in a diverse clientele and in turn added an additional revenue stream for the business. Since he started out as a customer at BG Bistro, Tinnell understood the establishment’s business model and what made it appealing to customers. At BG Bistro, every customer was made to feel welcomed and at home. He liked that the restaurant’s waitresses always greeted customers as they came in. BG Bistro offered delicious, traditional Eastern European cuisine and a wide variety of American cuisine. Seating and the overall atmosphere were big selling points for Tinnell. The bar offered comfortable seating options throughout aswell as several different “experiences” for customers from the bar area to the outside patio. BG Bistro could accommodate large gatherings and rarely if ever ran out of seating. At BG Bistro, customers came first and management worked hard to achieve balance within the business. This was all key for Tinnell to not only understand but to replicate within BG Bistro’s new cigar lounge space. Building theCommunity Being an entrepreneur and living in Las Vegas for over 20 years taught Tinnell the value of networking. When building awareness for i Cigar Lounge, Tinnell has focused on both strategic partnerships and his personal relationships. Tinnell regularly discusses ways he and other professionals can collaborate to grow each other’s businesses and build awareness. He also likes to host cigar-focused talks where he invites cigar enthusiasts to discuss their cigar journey with a group of people. During these cigar smoking sessions, in addition to learning about a particular person, each session also focuses on a specific cigar where the group works to identify the cigar’s tasting notes and give it an overall rating at the end. “It’s very informative, fun and relaxing, and people tend to share their experience via social media and with their fellow smoking comrades,” Tinnell explains. BG Bistro’s i Cigar Lounge is open to everyone each day from 10 a.m. to midnight. While Las Vegas has many cigar lounges and other cigar-friendly establishments, i Cigar Lounge is one of the few places in the city where customers can order a full-course meal with a cocktail and enjoy a cigar for a reasonable price. The humidor that Tinnell has helped to build out includes cigars at different price points starting as low as $6.50 and increasing up to $17.50. Tinnell has worked hard to create a lounge where customers could experience good food, premium cocktails and premium cigars all for under $50, leaving people with plenty of money to spend in the casinos and on other Las Vegas experiences. Tinnell isn’t afraid of using technology to build his business. He’s currently working on a website for i Cigar’s club and lounge and is exploring how to incorporate some NFT (non-fungible token) components to offer customers some added perks within the lounge. He’s used social media platforms such as Meta and Instagram to build a community and found even the simple move of listing his business with Google has paid off in a big way. “I recently listed the i Cigar Lounge as a business on Google,” he says. “I wasn’t familiar with this platform at the time, and after a cigar buddy broke it down for me, I realized I go to Google for almost everything—and then it clicked. Since I registered, I have gotten lots of exposure and lots of tourists that visit in search of a chill environment to eat, drink and smoke.” Being present and accessible to those visiting the lounge, even ondayswhen he’s not physically working in the store, has been another valuable lesson Tinnell has learned is important to building a community around his business. “I’ve learned that not only do your customers come to enjoy cigars and conversations; they also do so to decompress and spend time with you,” he says. “Another thing I pride myself on is learning something about everyone Marcus Tinnell, general manager of the i Cigar Lounge located in Las Vegas.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgzMDM=