We have a lot of cigar makers, shop owners, cigar reps here at CA. I would hope they take some of the comments in this thread and others and pass it on to other peeps in the industry. Maybe BI (before Internet) there was a way of life and BR (before resession) there was a lot more money, but things have changed.
I try to smoke 3 - 7 cigars a week, depends on my schedule. Even before the pay cut I took 2 weeks ago (I am very thankful to have my job) paying a cover charge to burn one would not happen. Unless they are looking for the really rich, Average Joe doesn't have it. Where I will spend the $5 on a cigar possibly or a nick nack, I'm sitting on the porch before a cover charge.
Let me smoke what I bring, not some 70% or greater soggy lump of tobacco forced sale to smoke there. Even as a fairly noob person I keep my sticks better than people who have been in the biz for years. I know not to mooch, no sweat to the shop, some of your stock is leaving if I smoke there.
I understand taxes, insurance, rent, etc. But the prices have got to be somewhere close to the compitition. Get real or get gone because even the rich types are starting to pinch pennies, well they prolly pinch quarters.
As I noted earlier, I'm not all that for a B&M but not really against them in principle either. Offer me someting for the extra $$$ you need/want to charge, knowledge, good attitude, a better price, a reasonable place to smoke , wings and babes, etc. I guess if folks see value in the B&Ms I would like them to survive, but as of today they don't offer any value to me. Best 2 places I smoke are the American Legion (can't beat the prices there and everyone knows my name) and out in town Bailey's. Sort of an up scale pub type place. Decent food, the air in the resturant is 100% filtered 8 times an hour, pool tables, some video games, only downside is the staff service sucks, but no place is perfect. They even sell a few cigars in a wall humi if you need an extra. A wee bit high but not really gouging. Well, there is one other place but JK and I hit up, a biker dive, but most would not care to visit
My .02 and not even worth all that much now days.