Stanley Pappas Cigars · floor training
Welcome to the lounge.
Everything you need to become a top-tier lounge guide: the product, the top 50 cigars, and how to guide a new smoker. You can't learn it all in a day, so learn it in layers.
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Study plan
Learn it in layers
Your first shift is Wednesday, October 7.
Before your first shift (Monday and Tuesday)
Training days (Wednesday to Friday)
First two weeks
Daily habit: spend 15 minutes before each shift reading one section, and write down one thing you learned from a customer after each shift.
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Study tools
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Study Guide
Reference
Top 50 Cigars
A curated list of 50 cigars every lounge employee should know, grouped by country of origin. It is not an official ranking, and body ratings are general: they shift by size and blend.
How the prices were checked
Checked as of October 2026 against only three: Padrón 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo (about $15.90), Liga Privada No. 9 Toro (about $18.50), and Hemingway Short Story (about $8). The rest are estimates. Sizes change the price a lot, and lounge prices usually run higher than online.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column. Tap a cigar for details.
Two things to know for conversation: Cuban cigars (45–50) are not legal to sell in the US, but customers ask about them constantly. And the Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, and Punch names also exist as separate US-market lines made outside Cuba, so always ask which version they mean.
Recommendation tool
What should I recommend?
Ask two or three questions, not all of them. The goal is a conversation that ends in one confident recommendation. Answer what you know and skip the rest.
Flashcards
Flashcards
Quiz mode
Quiz
Practice
Practice
On shift
Checklists
You'll often open and close alone, so a routine matters.
Safety when alone: keep your phone with you, keep the doors in your sight, don't announce cash totals, and call your manager or 911 if anything feels off. Fire safety is serious in a cigar shop: never leave a lit torch or cigar unattended, and double-check the ashtrays.
Learn our humidor
Humidor Tracker
Knowing exactly what's on your shelves is the biggest edge you can have. Fill this in during training and add rows as you learn. Aim for two or three cigars per body level (mild, medium, full) that you can recommend with confidence.
People
Regulars Tracker
People come back to places where they're known. After each visit, jot a line or two.
Habits that build regulars
- Use their name the second time you see them.
- Say “the usual?” when you know it, and offer a new one if they're open.
- Follow up on what they tried: “How did you like the Liga Privada?”
- Mention new arrivals that fit their taste.
- Thank them and say “see you next time” as they leave.
Hands-on
Tasting Journal
Smoke something new each week and write it down. Note what changes across the three thirds: the introduction, the heart, and the finish.
Keep growing
Resources
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