[Silound]

Are you building a lounge or a club? There is a big difference!

The shop I used to work at was an open room shop, with a walk-in humidor, a lounge area with free coffee, WiFi, and water for the patrons who came in. 2 couches, a couple chairs, a 42" LCD, a table for dominoes and cards, rental lockers, and all that jazz. It was all free for anyone that walked in, and while people abused it frequently, it wasn't bad.

About a year ago, they added a private club lounge with a pool table, dartboard, poker table, another TV with recliners, music system, coke machine, coffee machine, etc etc. This was mostly to get a noisy poker game out of the shop area (bad for business), but also because it was an opportunity to expand the floor space into the adjacent suite that was unoccupied for a cheap price. Membership is $500 a year, or $50 a month, or $10 a day for access, and monthly/yearly members have 24-hr card access. These are separate suites in the building, with a door connecting them, and outside entry to each side.


Charging a membership or day fee for a separate club area is perfectly acceptable, because those are extra amenities, and extra hours, that go above and beyond what a basic shop offers.

Charging just for a place to sit and smoke in the basic shop area is not a great business plan IMO, but some things like local smoking laws, rental agreements, or simple shop space may dictate otherwise.