Would HIGHLY recommend to NOT I repeat DO NOT patronize this business. I live downtown and usually…read morego to Fox, Trevor's, Castros, Zeal Cigars, Ambassador, or Fine Ash. All of those places are amazing! This place, NO.
To start with the ventilation there is nonexistent. When I first pulled up, I could smell the smoke outside the building. Not a big deal for me, as I still wanted to see what this place was about as it was my first time coming here. I walked in, went inside the humid door, and was followed around the whole time. As an avid cigar smoker, I've never experienced someone following me around the humidor, ever. Most of the cigars are anywhere from $12 being the bare minimum of the low end to $35 and up. Extremely expensive for Arizona (more like California prices), but I always want to support Brick and mortars especially those that are new. So I bought a $25 dollar El Septimo. When I exited the humidor, the woman that followed me around exited as well and walked to the counter so I can pay and get me a cup of water. The price came up to about $30 which I didn't think much of it. I just thought it was something to do with tobacco tax even though I thought like wow that's kinda high but after leaving in California, I thought whatever I'm just happy to support a B&M.
When I sat down, I just happened to look at my receipt and I was unknowingly charged $5.00 for water. Anywhere else you ask for water or in this case, soda water out the gun it's no charge whatsoever. So when I called the manager over to provide an answer to this, she tried to justify this ridiculous charge by making it seem like water was from Lake Minnetonka and blessed by the Pope himself, and told me that every place charges for water out the tap. NEVER in my natural experience of life had that EVER been true. So I told her that it's not the fact that is not true, it's the fact I was charged for it and wasn't told that it would be $5.00. When if I were given the option I'd obviously pay the $1.00 more and just get a beer. I asked her if she could rectify this and she said no but would talk to the owner.
As I'm sitting there me and a couple of first timers as well from out of town visiting from Chicago were also flabbergasted that someone would ever charge for a glass of water.
Here's where it gets interesting, the owner came out (Arabian fella, I believe he said his name was George) with a bag of candy and approached the two guys. I was speaking to from Chicago offering some Halloween candy as a consolation for being charged five dollars for water. Of course he was very condescending saying that, the guys looked at him like he was crazy and said no, we're good. I immediately told him that I am the man with this issue he came to offer me some candy. I said no let's talk about this $5 dollar glass of water you're charging me. When he said what about it, I mentioned to him that this is unreasonable to unknowingly charge someone for something but then also charge $5 for a glass of water that's ridiculous. He has prices for everything else posted everywhere, but there is nothing describing anything of $5 for some basic water. When I asked him is there anything he can do? He can take the water back and take it off of my receipt and he said he wasn't going to do anything to rectify. I told him that isn't good business, charging for tap water and not telling anyone but also not willing to be understanding is horrible for business. He didn't care and when I told him as an avid cigar smoker I'd make sure he doesn't receive business again. He told me that's fine, I have great business. Which in fact he doesn't, if he's charging $5.00 for water and not to mention his cigars are very expensive compared to all the other brick and mortars that I've mentioned above. I honestly saw the prices of the cigars being high but I said hey, it's a brick and mortar let me patronize and support.
BUT NEEEVER again this place!
The two guys I was speaking to from Chicago, you know the ones that were also new patrons here too? Yeah they were floored with this negative interaction coming from the owner and the manager.
I was literally writing this there while I was about to leave then about 10 to 15 minutes in, the woman manager came back to apologize and said is there anything she can do? By that point I was just done. So I told her just do whatever you think you can to salvage this. She brought me a beer, and the owner, "George" came over and said, "do you like your beer?" I just gave dude a head nod shook his hand and left it at that.
So you've been WARNED brothers of the leaf and sisters of the leaf. I'd advise you to take your business where it's wanted versus coming to this place. With her being a plethora of great cigar owners and businesses out here in Phoenix, you definitely have more options than settling for this place.