Royal Cigarettes & Cigar

Could this be the one?
As many Unilocalers who know me can tell you, I’m eternally searching for the ultimate cigar shop. Today by chance I go by my favorite Subway shop, and right next door, in the formerly vacant store front with the For Lease sign was a new tenant with a sign: Smoke Shop!
Woot! I say under my breath, forget the sandwich, let’s check this cigar store out. After all, man does not live on foot-​long Meatball Marinara subs alone…
Physical layout: when you first walk in, you are struck by how long and narrow the store is. No room for a smoking section here. This ain’t no cigar lounge, buddy, you get your stogies and get out!
But the owner has done a good job with the layout: all kinds of smoking merchandise and accessories line both side of the store. In recognition of the trendy smoker, hookahs large and small are arrayed on the top shelves. One counter is devoted to hookah paraphernelias: coal briquets, tobacco wet pouches, extra hoses. Another counter has all kinds of cigarettes. A third counter has Zippo lighters, and watches! Yes, watches. I guess the owner considers both to be jewelry for the gentleman smoker.
The proprietor proudly shows me his newest line of products: men leather coats! Yes, he is expanding his shop to carry more men related items. PS. can the mags be far behind? ;-D
Don’t forget to check out the counter with all kinds of pipes. And another counter with Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix premium tees. At least I hope they were premium tees at 19.95 a shirt.
What about the cigars, man!
Well, that is the most disappointing part of the whole experience. There was only one small cabinet standing by one wall that was devoted to cigars. No full-​on cigar shop here! And the selection, constrained by the size of the cabinet, was somewhat limited.
No Punch Double Maduro. In fact no Punch at all. The selection is limited to a handful of Macanudo lines, plus some Romeo Y Julieta, and some other not-​so-​well-​known brand.
And the price was also disappointing: 15.99 for a Hyde Park Macanudo? Most prices were about $ 5 to $ 7 more than I would expect from the local market. I suppose the owner is trying to recoup the initial start-​up capital. I hope that’s what he’s doing, and that the price will start to align better to the local market in the future, or otherwise there will be disappointment for owner and customers both.
In talking to the owner, he has just set up shop about 3 weeks ago. And he wasn’t moving from another location, but just setting up a new shop for the first time.
So I deduct one star for the limited selection of cigars, and one more star for the above-​market prices. But I give the owner props for opening a new smoke shop and giving local smokers another choice to indulge their hobby. Plus he did have a nice selection of hookahs, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Btw, I did purchase a small variety of stogies to sample at a later time, and I will be back to get some more to support my neighborhood smoke shop.