For many cigar aficionados, a well-designed cigar lounge is an escape. The right cigar lounge is the perfect place to kick back, enjoy a premium smoke, and get to know fellow smokers.
As a lounge owner, you're not just selling cigars. You're creating an experience that keeps customers comfortable, engaged, and coming back week after week. Your customers are investing in an experience. The longer they stay, the more they spend — so make sure the experience is a good one.
Want to make your business the neighborhood's favorite spot for cigar lovers? We've got you covered. In this guide, we're sharing 10 creative cigar lounge ideas to keep your customers happy and your sales climbing.
Before we dive into our list of ideas, let’s cover the fundamentals. Your lounge’s atmosphere is the key to everything, so you need to spend time curating the right energy before you do anything else.
Step one? Start with a theme. Decide on the energy you want to channel in your lounge. Some lounge owners go for a classic vibe with leather chairs and wood paneling, while others choose a more industrial aesthetic with exposed brick.
Related Read: Cigar Lounge Startup Cost Breakdown: 8 Things To Budget For
Whatever direction you choose, you have to commit. Your cigar lounge design should be obvious from the second a customer walks in the door. Connect the theme to your lighting, your art, your product selection, and even your pricing.
Next, think strategically about your seating and layout. You want to create different zones and areas. Here are some options to consider:
You need to invest in quality ventilation systems, too. Air quality is incredibly important in any business, especially a cigar lounge. A smoky, stuffy lounge drives customers away — no matter how “Instagrammable” the space might be.
Finally, curate your soundtrack. Music sets the mood and actually influences spending behavior. Consider playing soft jazz for that classic vibe, blues for a laid-back feel, or modern tracks if you target a younger crowd. Whatever you choose, keep the volume conversational, and consider featuring live music for special events.
With the right design, music, and layout, you have a solid foundation for a comfortable atmosphere. Now, you need to get your customers to stick around for as long as possible — the longer they stay, the more cigars they buy.
Offering entertainment and activities is a great way to turn your lounge into a destination where customers want to spend their entire evening. These are a few ideas we’ve seen cigar lounge owners find success with:
Related Read: How Much Does a Cigar Lounge Make? 4 Things You Need To Know
Another possible amenity to consider offering is a private locker. Offer lockers to your loyalty program members or other regular customers, so they can store their personal cigar collections, pool equipment, or other accessories. This amenity sets your lounge up as their “home base” for cigar-related entertainment, which builds loyalty for your lounge.
Special events are a great way to attract new customers and give your regulars an excuse to stop by. The key is to offer the right experiences and cigar lounge events for your target customer base. Consider the following:
You can also build community when you host simple, recurring events like weekly poker tournaments, monthly cigar clubs, or special events around holidays or major sporting events. When you regularly offer events, you give your best customers the chance to connect with your store and get to know one another, ultimately creating more loyalty and a better lounge environment.
Great ambiance and the right entertainment are key to winning new customers and keeping them coming back — but if you want to increase profits from all that new revenue, you need to dial in your operations.
Start by implementing the right tools. An all-in-one point of sale (POS) and inventory management solution is a must-have for any cigar lounge. The right system makes it easier to process payments, manage your ordering processes, and track sales patterns — this way, you can better curate your offerings to your customers.
Use your real-time sales data to make better decisions about which cigars to promote and highlight for collections like “staff picks” or “lounge favorites.” Instead of choosing these items based on personal preferences or gut instinct, use real data to highlight bestsellers or items with unusually high margins.
You also want a POS system with mobile inventory management, so your staff can answer questions about your available cigars, pairings, and accessories — without constantly running back and forth to the counter. When customers can stay comfortable and relaxed in their seats while having their questions answered and needs met, they’ll stay longer and spend more.
Next, when planning your layout, be sure to consider your accessory placement. Don’t confine your lighters, cutters, and humidors to the counter or bar. Place them at the counter, but also display them on shelves near seating areas. When a customer has been sitting smoking for an hour with a torch lighter in their direct eyeline, they’re more likely to make an impulse purchase.
Finally, if you don’t run a membership and loyalty program for your lounge, you’re leaving money on the table. Offer benefits like percentage discounts, exclusive access to certain events, or locker privileges to your best customers. These types of clubs give you more predictable monthly or annual revenue in the form of membership fees, too.
Related Read: How To Start a Cigar Club: A Quick Guide for Lounge Owners
Before we close out this blog, let’s cover a few more rapidfire ways to differentiate your lounge and grow your business. Here are a few creative strategies you can use to reach new customer segments:
These three strategies are incredibly cost-effective and can offer the boost you need to take your cigar lounge sales to the next level.
Ultimately, if you want to run a thriving cigar lounge, you need to create the right atmosphere, offer engaging entertainment, and run a tight operational ship. When you get these three elements working together, you can win more customers — and get them to stay longer, spend more, and bring their friends with them when they come back.
If you feel overwhelmed by all these cigar lounge ideas, don’t worry — you don’t need to implement everything at once. Start with a few simple strategies that work for your brand and budget. Then, check the results of those improvements and make another round of changes after a few months. Small, strategic changes add up over time.
Ready to create your dream cigar lounge? Download The Ultimate Guide to Cigar Lounge Layout & Design for detailed floor plans, design recommendations, and budget planning tools that take the guesswork out of your renovation or refresh, giving you everything you need to boost sales and grow your business.