Locker Storage

[Eqwhipped]

So, as previously mentioned, it's zoned for commercial use as well (I can forgive that getting lost in my wordy posts). In fact, I share a driveway with a guy who owns several luxury car dealerships. Our side of that particular road is zoned residential/commercial. He also sits on the local board.. as does my step-father.

It's why I even came to learn of the property. The guy next door has 2 locations around Madison (and 2 near Green Bay & 3 around Milwaukee). His showroom is all indoors and he owns everything on the right of our driveway:

View attachment 59126

He has the 4 structures on the right. Building farthest to right with pin is main showroom and offices. The other 3 are car storage (his current showroom has 2 Bentleys, a Rolls, AMG Gulfwing Merc, etc). These are vehicles you don't have sitting in a lot.. especially in our winters!!

My house on far left has the 2 structures with it.. both currently being leased to a farmer who owns the field where our driveway ends. The gravel parking area out of my back entrance is being paved, when done it could accommodate between 10-12 vehicles comfortably. I could convert either structure into a lounge and sell cigars.

The whole point was to get feedback. If my own personal walk-in being built in basement wasn't adequate, I have several other options. One other thing too, the area north of metro Madison has nothing to serve it cigar/lounge/B&M-wise. Our huge Air National Guard unit is about a 7 minute drive south of me. It's about to triple in size as we were awarded an expanded squadron of new F-35 Lightnings.. and EVERYTHING that will be coming with them.

They're located here at the bottom of map, right off HWY 51.. I'm in DeForest, right off HWY 51.. simple on and off:

View attachment 59128

Otherwise, for all the stogie guys already there, along with the many hundreds coming, they would have to venture into Madison metro to the south for closest B&M:

View attachment 59129

I'm less than 15 minutes away from the metro area and could have a smoker's Mecca out here. It's also not bad having guys buying luxury vehicles going past me everyday either! I've shared a couple sticks with the dealer and he LOVES the idea of me having cigar guys come out! He said he'd also be sure to send his clientele my way as well if I decided to do something.

The more feedback I get, the more it's all pointing to DO IT. Have some other things to go over of course.. just a matter of is if there's anything big enough to dissuade me from doing it.

I admire your tenacity and rose colored glasses. Don't let this world get you down Dan.

"the stogie guys already there, along with the many hundreds coming"

You are going to be a busy guy, may even have to hire security.

 

[xyz123]

I admire your tenacity and rose colored glasses. Don't let this world get you down Dan.

"the stogie guys already there, along with the many hundreds coming"

You are going to be a busy guy, may even have to hire security.

I trust all the new guys coming to our 115th Fighter Wing! The ones I already know and have shared cigars with are truly, The Best of the Best.

 

[drunkfish3]

So, as previously mentioned, it's zoned for commercial use as well (I can forgive that getting lost in my wordy posts). In fact, I share a driveway with a guy who owns several luxury car dealerships. Our side of that particular road is zoned residential/commercial. He also sits on the local board.. as does my step-father.

It's why I even came to learn of the property. The guy next door has 2 locations around Madison (and 2 near Green Bay & 3 around Milwaukee). His showroom is all indoors and he owns everything on the right of our driveway:

View attachment 59126

He has the 4 structures on the right. Building farthest to right with pin is main showroom and offices. The other 3 are car storage (his current showroom has 2 Bentleys, a Rolls, AMG Gulfwing Merc, etc). These are vehicles you don't have sitting in a lot.. especially in our winters!!

My house on far left has the 2 structures with it.. both currently being leased to a farmer who owns the field where our driveway ends. The gravel parking area out of my back entrance is being paved, when done it could accommodate between 10-12 vehicles comfortably. I could convert either structure into a lounge and sell cigars.

The whole point was to get feedback. If my own personal walk-in being built in basement wasn't adequate, I have several other options. One other thing too, the area north of metro Madison has nothing to serve it cigar/lounge/B&M-wise. Our huge Air National Guard unit is about a 7 minute drive south of me. It's about to triple in size as we were awarded an expanded squadron of new F-35 Lightnings.. and EVERYTHING that will be coming with them.

They're located here at the bottom of map, right off HWY 51.. I'm in DeForest, right off HWY 51.. simple on and off:

View attachment 59128

Otherwise, for all the stogie guys already there, along with the many hundreds coming, they would have to venture into Madison metro to the south for closest B&M:

View attachment 59129

I'm less than 15 minutes away from the metro area and could have a smoker's Mecca out here. It's also not bad having guys buying luxury vehicles going past me everyday either! I've shared a couple sticks with the dealer and he LOVES the idea of me having cigar guys come out! He said he'd also be sure to send his clientele my way as well if I decided to do something.

The more feedback I get, the more it's all pointing to DO IT. Have some other things to go over of course.. just a matter of is if there's anything big enough to dissuade me from doing it.

Really do what you want nobody here Really cares. A lot have blocked you already.

 

[xyz123]

Really do what you want nobody here Really cares. A lot have blocked you already.

Darn?

 

[xyz123]

@xyz123 are you planning to live there too or just build a private members only club

Yes! When ya comin'?

 

[smellysell]

Hobbiess that become jobs quickly turn into, well jobs...

 

[kann]

xyz, you have had ZERO positive support for your idea in this thread. You asked for feedback, and you got it. Apparently you are having smoke blown up your ass locally, so it's probably in your ego's best interest to keep your idea there. There's nothing left to add here, so bump this in a year and let us know how well you are doing. Until then, aside from the comedy, what further purpose do further replies serve here, my dudes? The more we reply, the more self-affirming novels he's just going to write in response that may or may not actually have anything to do with what you said. Please, let's let this one finish dying its painful (for us) death...

 

[tone-ny]

I trust all the new guys coming to our 115th Fighter Wing! The ones I already know and have shared cigars with are truly, The Best of the Best.

LOL, that's the your first mistake! I wouldn't trust any mfers from a fighter wing!

 

[xyz123]

Hobbiess that become jobs quickly turn into, well jobs...

What's the saying.. if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life? I'm excited about it!

 

[CigarStone]

Atta-boy!

I was excited about this for a while but it didn't end well either!

 

[cabaiguan juan]

@xyz123the only thing left for you to do is to put your plan into action and prove all us haters wrong. Until then, it's just words without action. I'm not going to put you on ignore yet because I want to see if you actually do this.

 

[xyz123]

@xyz123the only thing left for you to do is to put your plan into action and prove all us haters wrong. Until then, it's just words without action. I'm not going to put you on ignore yet because I want to see if you actually do this.

Kinda makes you wonder why the hate in the first place.. doesn't it? There was hate just based on an idea being floated. There were also a lot of great issues/concerns raised, which I am grateful for and appreciate. It definitely gave me pause and had me take a step back to process it. And I believe I addressed those concerns brought up fairly well. I didn't dismiss them, I thanked people for them and provided my remedy if there was one.. or one needed.

I've also received several PMs with words of support and encouragement that I'm grateful for (you know who you are!). There hasn't been an absolute decision made as whether to do it or not.. but I'll say odds are strong at around 80%. To sell tobacco here you have to apply for a certain license, on top of regular retail processes.

I downloaded the application pdf and affiliated paperwork today. Nothing outright that would prohibit me from obtaining it.. just another fee. Looking at average retail markups atm... sample P&Ls, requisite & optional liability coverage, 30, 60, 90 net terms & minimums w/ wholesalers, etc, UI requirements, etc. I'm not trying to take-over and dominate the tobacco market. But if I could start something now and build it into a reliable little profit vehicle over a few years time, that would be great.

A 5-year plan would put me at 50.. if I could retire from my career then and operate this with an employee or two.. that would be fantastic. It doesn't have to be a massive operation for me.. if it got to be cumbersome or too much, I would sell it or close up shop. It's not part of my nest egg nor a part of my current retirement strategy.

If it works.. it works.

 

[CigSid]

xyz, you have had ZERO positive support for your idea in this thread. You asked for feedback, and you got it. Apparently you are having smoke blown up your ass locally, so it's probably in your ego's best interest to keep your idea there. There's nothing left to add here, so bump this in a year and let us know how well you are doing. Until then, aside from the comedy, what further purpose do further replies serve here, my dudes? The more we reply, the more self-affirming novels he's just going to write in response that may or may not actually have anything to do with what you said. Please, let's let this one finish dying its painful (for us) death...

What he said.

 

[MilesMingusMonk]

Was at my local lounge Saturday night and I was talking (bragging) about the plans for my new humi.

From Merriam-Webster:

Synonyms of bragging​

• blustery,
• boastful,
• bombastic,
• braggart,
• braggy,
• cocky,
• swaggering
• assured,
• biggety
• (or biggity)
• [Southern & Midland],
• bigheaded,
• complacent,
• conceited,
• consequential,
• egoistic
• (alsoegoistical),
• egotistic
• (or egotistical),
• important,
• overweening,
• pompous,
• prideful,
• proud,
• self-conceited,
• self-important,
• self-opinionated,
• self-satisfied,
• smug,
• stuck-up,
• swellheaded,
• vain,
• vainglorious
• arrogant,
• assumptive,
• bumptious,
• cavalier,
• chesty,
• disdainful,
• fastuous,
• haughty,
• high-and-mighty,
• high-hat,
• huffy,
• lofty,
• lordly,
• masterful,
• peremptory,
• pontifical,
• self-asserting,
• self-assertive,
• snobbish,
• snobby,
• snooty,
• supercilious,
• superior,
• toplofty
• (also toploftical),
• uppish,
• uppity
• domineering,
• high-handed,
• imperious
• highfalutin
• (also hifalutin),
• holier-than-thou,
• pretentious
• overconfident,
• presuming,
• presumptuous
• confident,
• self-assured,
• self-confident
• self-adulatory,
• self-congratulatory,
• self-contented,
• self-gratulatory
• self-applauding,
• self-dramatizing,
• self-glorifying,
• self-promoting
• self-affected,
• self-centered,
• self-engrossed,
• selfish

 

[CigarStone]

Kinda makes you wonder why the hate in the first place.. doesn't it? There was hate just based on an idea being floated. There were also a lot of great issues/concerns raised, which I am grateful for and appreciate. It definitely gave me pause and had me take a step back to process it. And I believe I addressed those concerns brought up fairly well. I didn't dismiss them, I thanked people for them and provided my remedy if there was one.. or one needed.

I've also received several PMs with words of support and encouragement that I'm grateful for (you know who you are!). There hasn't been an absolute decision made as whether to do it or not.. but I'll say odds are strong at around 80%. To sell tobacco here you have to apply for a certain license, on top of regular retail processes.

I downloaded the application pdf and affiliated paperwork today. Nothing outright that would prohibit me from obtaining it.. just another fee. Looking at average retail markups atm... sample P&Ls, requisite & optional liability coverage, 30, 60, 90 net terms & minimums w/ wholesalers, etc, UI requirements, etc. I'm not trying to take-over and dominate the tobacco market. But if I could start something now and build it into a reliable little profit vehicle over a few years time, that would be great.

A 5-year plan would put me at 50.. if I could retire from my career then and operate this with an employee or two.. that would be fantastic. It doesn't have to be a massive operation for me.. if it got to be cumbersome or too much, I would sell it or close up shop. It's not part of my nest egg nor a part of my current retirement strategy.

If it works.. it works.

Dan, the hate has nothing to do with your idea. It's all about how you represent yourself. But I'm sure you've heard this a few million times in your life and I'm sure you always pass it off as "who cares, I'm too cool for school" ...... or ...... "fuck-em, I am cooler than they are". So ......... as has been pointed out numerous times, if you could limit your posts, limit the content of your posts, stop trying so hard, stop trying to be a FOG without eraning FOGDOM, and learn to accept constructive critique, you wouldn't have to work so hard to be one of the guys.

 

[{tpc}]

Those are all good points. I would know anytime someone was entering the back entrance. And there's a whole separate door between the laundry room and mudroom. That would always be locked and deadbolted. Knowing there might be people stopping by occasionally during business hours wouldn't be an issue at all. I'm the only one living there. And I'd meet all these people if I didn't sort of know many of them already.

There would also be a general contract and liability waiver signed upon rental.. same as if renting a storage unit.. I would probably use a standard one as a template for mine, have my attorney review and fill in any gaps. There would be set hours.. just like at any B&M, and the door would be locked at "closing".

The usual not being responsible for theft and "acts of God" and other traditional legalese would all be in the contract freeing me from the normal liability you see in similar contracts.

Definitely not concerned about someone getting drunk and accusing me of stealing a cigar(s). Just like the current storage unit I rent now, they would have the only key to their lock, just like I have the only key to the NIB lock I was given for my unit. At the heart of it, that's what they're getting.. a storage unit.

Another thing about the property, it's zoned both residential AND commercial. I figured I could always pick up a bare bones general liability plan from anywhere cheap. I was thinking maybe 20-30 lockers or so.. maybe 5 or 10 with some extra size to them. $35-$50/mo... or pay 6 or 12 months upfront for discounts. Basics like that.

I KNOW it's wayyy pricier than that at a local lounge with their setup.. those guys are like $99/mo, if my buddy is right. And most look super tiny to me.. maybe 3 boxes worth and a dozen loosies or so... going from how the exteriors look.

I am extremely happy for the concerns you mentioned.. and it's definitely harder to paint the full picture without being able to see it IRL. The house, with the big mudroom, and then the really big laundry room, makes that whole part of the house just seem really far away. It definitely wouldn't affect me in the main living quarters. There's even a small hall between the laundry room before it ends up in kitchen, which then goes into the main house.

I wouldn't have it open to just the general public.. it's gonna be guys well-off enough to have a nice stash of cigars and who would rent a locker in a very nice humi who have a contract with me.

And, of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that the idea of making it all into a full-fledged B&M hasn't crossed my mind! I could make the land back there a smoker's paradise!! Especially with my plans to grow tobacco... wouldn't it be cool to admire various growing tobacco plants while enjoying a cigar fresh from a box you just bought.. with the rest going in the locker you just rented?!

Idk.. I keep daydreaming about it as I'm meeting with contractors to do everything else.. *sigh... Sorry for the extra long post fellas.. doing a lot of thinking out loud here...

Hey no worries, I was just thinking out loud as well. I was sure you put a lot of thought into it, I tend to take these posts as conversational, and if we we having one..of course that would all have come up.

In the end, what do they say? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. At worse you can build it and if it doesn’t work you end it and make it something more personal. At best, we are visiting your b&m store in the future.

I apologize if I was negative in my response, maybe it was my mood, the day, whatever…but regardless I didn’t mean any ill will, just gave examples of what sprung to my mind.

I’d be a first owner of a locker if i ever had any stock to put in it…haha

 

[xyz123]

I’d be a first owner of a locker if i ever had any stock to put in it…haha

I'll cut you a good deal.. you'll need TWO lockers for all your stock!

Seriously though, your feedback was great and much appreciated. I would certainly hope that if folks found themselves in my neck of the woods that they'd pop by. Well, except for whatshisface..

Odds are you'd probably end up with free cigars and me not allowing you to spend money. Not the best business model maybe, but I'm sure the time spent and memories made would be priceless!

We can try and coordinate with some Joe's too.. and not just some average Joe's, but Mr. @JoeMO and Mr. @JoeGibs.. they're both close enough I reckon. The former digs the local art scene and is overdue for a visit. The latter has a great Padron hookup! Even if I decide against opening something publicly, I'm still gonna have something great for myself and friends. Very stoked about having enough land to grow a variety of tobaccos.

Hopefully I can resurrect my once green thumb and turn out some nice looking leaf. Would be great to do some handrolls with friends and have them "leave'' with a few souvenirs!

 

[cabaiguan juan]

Kinda makes you wonder why the hate in the first place.. doesn't it? There was hate just based on an idea being floated. There were also a lot of great issues/concerns raised, which I am grateful for and appreciate. It definitely gave me pause and had me take a step back to process it. And I believe I addressed those concerns brought up fairly well. I didn't dismiss them, I thanked people for them and provided my remedy if there was one.. or one needed.

I've also received several PMs with words of support and encouragement that I'm grateful for (you know who you are!). There hasn't been an absolute decision made as whether to do it or not.. but I'll say odds are strong at around 80%. To sell tobacco here you have to apply for a certain license, on top of regular retail processes.

I downloaded the application pdf and affiliated paperwork today. Nothing outright that would prohibit me from obtaining it.. just another fee. Looking at average retail markups atm... sample P&Ls, requisite & optional liability coverage, 30, 60, 90 net terms & minimums w/ wholesalers, etc, UI requirements, etc. I'm not trying to take-over and dominate the tobacco market. But if I could start something now and build it into a reliable little profit vehicle over a few years time, that would be great.

A 5-year plan would put me at 50.. if I could retire from my career then and operate this with an employee or two.. that would be fantastic. It doesn't have to be a massive operation for me.. if it got to be cumbersome or too much, I would sell it or close up shop. It's not part of my nest egg nor a part of my current retirement strategy.

If it works.. it works.

I was going to give a response as to why the hate but @cigarston Hit the nail square on the head. I know ive tried to explain this to you and im sure others have too. Listen to what Cigarstone has said and hopefully you can find your space here, in a good space.

 

[CgarDan]

I wish it was this simple to just open a cigar lounge in NYC. But the draconian rules here make it mostly impossible.

1) you need a tobacco license. No new licenses are given out
2) the only way to get a license is to buy an existing establishment with a tobacco license
3) if this establishment is an existing cigar lounge you are either paying through your nose if it’s good, or throwing money out the window if it’s a shitty place with bad inventory
4) you can not move this license to a new location unless the new location is like 2-3 doors down from the current one
5) you can buy a grocery that sells cigars but 99.9 % of these will not make a decent transition to a lounge for multiple reasons: space wise, location wise etc
6) good luck competing with online stores due to 75% cigar tax in NYC

So @xyz123 if your idea works out due to what your location offers price wise, and what the people in your location are seeking good for you. I am curious to see this to its completion and the final outcome both financial and from the personal satisfaction that this project will accomplish

 

[xyz123]

I wish it was this simple to just open a cigar lounge in NYC. But the draconian rules here make it mostly impossible.

1) you need a tobacco license. No new licenses are given out
2) the only way to get a license is to buy an existing establishment with a tobacco license
3) if this establishment is an existing cigar lounge you are either paying through your nose if it’s good, or throwing money out the window if it’s a shitty place with bad inventory
4) you can not move this license to a new location unless the new location is like 2-3 doors down from the current one
5) you can buy a grocery that sells cigars but 99.9 % of these will not make a decent transition to a lounge for multiple reasons: space wise, location wise etc
6) good luck competing with online stores due to 75% cigar tax in NYC

So @xyz123 if your idea works out due to what your location offers price wise, and what the people in your location are seeking good for you. I am curious to see this to its completion and the final outcome both financial and from the personal satisfaction that this project will accomplish

Damn.. that's crazy. I hear it's even harder to just drive a cab there. I remember reading something about it years ago. Where you need a medallion I think it's called, but there's finite of them available and some sell for upwards of a million dollars. Apparently if you drive mainly in Manhattan you're guaranteed a solid 6 figures a year.. even some at $250k+! Granted, that was before Uber.. but I get the general idea on the systems in place for certain occupations and the unreal hurdles involved.

There's definitely rules and regulations regarding tobacco here as well. No, not anything like NY thankfully (btw, is that for all NY or just NYC?). Here, you have to be at least 1,000ft from any schools.. which I am. In fact, it would seem the more rural you are, the better. There's also training along with a required course and test that have to be done. Then a DOJ background check.

The course, the exam, and background check are all separate fees of course. If someone has a criminal history it has to pertain to what they're trying to do. I'm praying it's just a statewide check and that my bootlegging convictions from Kentucky don't show up. My recent name change should hopefully help... down there they only knew me as 123xyz.

So.. all that gets you an Operator's License.. for an additional fee. Notably, there isn't a standalone tobacco course. It's an alcohol AND tobacco course.. and the OL allows for me to transact and serve alcohol. It's more commonly known as a bartender's license. However, that alone doesn't allow me to SELL alcohol. As the establishment owner, there's a whole other process to obtain a liquor license.

That's something else I'm grappling with.. whether I want to sell liquor or not. Presumably, I will. That opens up some other bureaucratic issues and red tape, mostly because selling both have a few additional rules. The biggest one is, if selling both, tobacco sales MUST account for at least 15% of your gross sales. And that's something you're responsible for reporting quarterly. I haven't seen anything for why the 15% rule is a thing, so for now I can only speculate.

Another thing I learned, and kind of a bummer, is no online sales. State of WI does not permit the selling of tobacco products online. I mean, that wasn't really part of what I wanted to do, but it would have been nice to have as an option. It was established early on in the internet days, the reasoning being you couldn't guarantee the age of the buyer. However, these days there are companies that verify buyer ages.. I'm sure everyone's seen them.

Veratad Tech is one of them. Pretty similar to other transaction fees and pricing plans. On average it's about .30 to .50 cents per check. Which I think is very reasonable to ensure customers are 21+. Anyway, I'm not exactly planning on lobbying the government right now to change the law.. but I am kind of surprised other retailers haven't yet.

There's nothing so far that I see as prohibitive. It's mainly, how far into this am I wanting (willing?) to go? The whole idea is to do a little investment now in order to hopefully supplement my income long term. While using existing property/land to do so.. that's the biggest factor.

So Dan, I guess the big takeaway here is.. if I ever buy more cigars from you again.. I'm gonna need an invoice! 🗃🗄