[ninjavanish]

I think charging for lounge usage is a bad idea.

I've worked at several (highly profitable) cigar stores over the years and none charged for lounge use.

We always rented lockers. And on occasion, the lounge would be reserved for locker members only events. However, if a non locker member wished to attend the event, they could pay a month's equivilant locker fee which would grant them access to the day's event. Typically they would need to RSVP/pay in advance so that beer/pizza/etc could be purchased in sufficient quantity for these member's only events.

The bottom line is... you're selling cigars. Not your lounge. Cigars are where you profit comes from. Not your lounge. Budget the amount of money you spend. Come up with a solid purchasing system that gives you a high level of control and visibility on the outflow and inflow of money and allows you to forecast your sales and profit. Rather than creating new fees for using the new lounge area, consider cutting the bottom line first. Order fewer cigars, less often. Cut SKU's that aren't moving as quickly as you'd like, try to contact some of the companies and see if they will credit you for returning product that hasn't moved in recent months... That last thing you want is a ton of money tied up in stock that sits on your shelves forever. If it hasn't moved in 6 months. Ditch it.

I'd recommend purchasing the services of a CPA if you haven't already.

The primary reason for creating a lounge area is to engage your customers. Show them a high level of customer service, and provide an experience that will keep them coming back to purchase more cigars.