The premium cigar industry is winning. Let me repeat that: The premium cigar industry is WINNING! The FDA Deeming Rule is fully vacated. We just completed one of the most energizing trade shows since 2017. New retail lounge experiences are popping up across the nation. Existing retailers are adding second locations. Legacy manufacturing families, large tobacco manufacturers and boutique brands are blending, marketing and selling some of the best premium cigars ever experienced in the market. New point-of-sale innovations are popping up to improve our retail experiences. UPS labor stoppages were avoided. Tax laws are changing across multiple states, reducing the tax burden being paid by consumers. The premium cigar industry is winning!
I feel a growing optimism that was spotty, at best, during the past decade. So, what happened? I would like to offer my two cents, and apply the lessons learned to our retail establishments. In fact, let’s start with the ending.
Get the toxic customer out of your lounge!
Trust me. Every time they disparage a fellow customer (even jokingly), throw a fit or drag down your day, that energy outweighs any dollar they spend in your shop. Cut bait! They are going to raise holy hell, but you are much better off in the long run.
Get the toxic employee off your payroll!
Why do we do this? We make an accommodation for toxicity in our staff and wonder why we aren’t achieving greatness in our lounges. Never in the history of history have you heard, “That meal was mediocre, but I am definitely coming back to have that wait staff treat me poorly.”
We can’t deliver excellent experience in our lounges if the staff delivering it are not on the same page as us. In the case of an employee, you are paying them to hurt you if they are toxic. On a side note, if you are the toxic element on your staff, can I encourage you to change? It doesn’t cost you anything to be kind. Try it. You might be surprised at the results.
Get the toxic rep out of your establishment!
I have zero time for reps who don’t respect my business or the industry that I love. These nincompoops are few and far between in the cigar industry. I think we do a pretty good job of weeding those folks out. I can’t say the same, however, for my other vendors. If a rep is not partnering in your success, they are working against your future. Have the integrity to be honest and create boundaries for expectations. Remember, you have an equal role to play in their success. If you are avoiding their calls and emails, it is probably a good sign that the relationship is not healthy. Be courageous and address conflict.
Mr. Evarts, all this talk of our industry winning, and you just waived the big toxic flag in front of our saluting selves. What gives? The toxic I am addressing is, as Churchill quoted, the enemy within. I am talking to you … directly. I am not talking about customers, employees, or reps (while all those pointers ARE valid). I am talking about ego, fear, doubt, insecurity or maybe how much we care about what others think. I would argue that these were the enemies that reigned in parts of our industry for many years. As I have watched the successes in our industry for the past 12 months, I would offer it is directly related to individuals choosing to address the enemy within, allowing unity of purpose to be cultivated and grow. We are far from perfect, but it only takes a few to impact the many—positively or negatively. Mahatma Gandhi put it more succinctly: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
I was elected to serve a three-year term as a PCA retail board member this past July. I was asked to write a quick blurb as to why I ran and what I hope to accomplish. I made some innocuous statement you can read elsewhere in this magazine, accompanied with a professional photo. Here is the truth. I want to be a force to eradicate decades of enemies within that we have collectively allowed to impede our industry. I want to tackle audacious efforts to improve our industry in ways that seem impossible. I want to leave my industry in a better place, three years from now, when my term expires. However, the only thing I can control are my actions and my attitudes. I will be battling my enemies within. I will serve by being bold. I will serve by being beyond reproach. I will serve by encouraging others to join me in their own journey. If we collectively muster the courage to do so, the enemies outside cannot hurt us.
On a final note. Thank you to those who battled within and won during the past 12 months. We are all better for it.
– Contributed by Josh Evarts, Vault Cigar Lounge in Meridian, Idaho.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 3, 2023. To receive a copy of this magazine you must be a current member of PCA.