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For 36 years, Doug Lewis’ family has been in the eyeglasses business, operating an optical store in Joplin.
But just recently, Doug decided to broaden his horizons.
He is now the new owner of Neosho’s Smoke4Less smokeshop, which reopened Jan. 5 at its old location at 1110 W. Harmony after suffering damage from an adjoining building fire last winter.
So why buy a smokeshop?
“That has yet to be seen!” Lewis laughed. “I just thought it was a good, profitable business to get into. There seems to be a demand and Neosho doesn’t have (a smokeshop), so I just wanted to bring something the city didn’t have.”
Lewis will keep the Smoke4Less name.
As soon as he bought the building, or two thirds of it anyway, about a month ago, Lewis knocked out a partition wall to double his floor space.
And he’s going to need it.
Lewis plans to offer beer, liquor and wine as soon as he gets the OK from the state, which he hopes will be next month. He said he’s already received approval from the city.
To accommodate the alcohol sales, Lewis plans to build a “beer cave”, i.e. large cooler, in the northwest corner of the shop, which will allow customers to simply walk into the cooler and grab whatever beer they want to buy. The “cave” will be modified to include self-serve doors on the outside as well.
The liquor and wine will be lined up along the west wall.
Lewis will also sell bottled soda, coffee and snacks for customers who want to take a load off for a while and maybe chew the fat at the bench tables he plans to install on the south wall.
As far as snacks go — and alcohol or tobacco for that matter — Lewis promised that “if we don’t have what someone is looking for, they just need to let us know and if there’s a market for it, we’ll be happy to get it for them.”
Of course, cigarettes and chewing tobacco will be the main commodities sold, and Lewis said he plans to offer “a full line” of both. He’s also looking to buy a humidor to keep fresh the somewhat finer cigars he wants to offer. Smoking accessories, such as cigarette cases and ashtrays, will be available for sale as well.
Lewis said the advantages of buying tobacco from a smoke shop rather than a convenience store were “variety and price.”
For 36 years, Doug Lewis’ family has been in the eyeglasses business, operating an optical store in Joplin.
But just recently, Doug decided to broaden his horizons.
He is now the new owner of Neosho’s Smoke4Less smokeshop, which reopened Jan. 5 at its old location at 1110 W. Harmony after suffering damage from an adjoining building fire last winter.
So why buy a smokeshop?
“That has yet to be seen!” Lewis laughed. “I just thought it was a good, profitable business to get into. There seems to be a demand and Neosho doesn’t have (a smokeshop), so I just wanted to bring something the city didn’t have.”
Lewis will keep the Smoke4Less name.
As soon as he bought the building, or two thirds of it anyway, about a month ago, Lewis knocked out a partition wall to double his floor space.
And he’s going to need it.
Lewis plans to offer beer, liquor and wine as soon as he gets the OK from the state, which he hopes will be next month. He said he’s already received approval from the city.
To accommodate the alcohol sales, Lewis plans to build a “beer cave”, i.e. large cooler, in the northwest corner of the shop, which will allow customers to simply walk into the cooler and grab whatever beer they want to buy. The “cave” will be modified to include self-serve doors on the outside as well.
The liquor and wine will be lined up along the west wall.
Lewis will also sell bottled soda, coffee and snacks for customers who want to take a load off for a while and maybe chew the fat at the bench tables he plans to install on the south wall.
As far as snacks go — and alcohol or tobacco for that matter — Lewis promised that “if we don’t have what someone is looking for, they just need to let us know and if there’s a market for it, we’ll be happy to get it for them.”
Of course, cigarettes and chewing tobacco will be the main commodities sold, and Lewis said he plans to offer “a full line” of both. He’s also looking to buy a humidor to keep fresh the somewhat finer cigars he wants to offer. Smoking accessories, such as cigarette cases and ashtrays, will be available for sale as well.
Lewis said the advantages of buying tobacco from a smoke shop rather than a convenience store were “variety and price.”
“It’s going to be a better price, and we’ve got stuff that other people just aren’t going to carry,” he said.
Employee Ginger Bridges, who also worked at the shop under the previous owner before the fire and who is currently the only counter clerk, invited folks to drop in for a hello.
“Even if they don’t want to buy anything, I’d love for them to just stop by and say ‘hi,’” she said. “I’d sure appreciate it if you please tell people that.”
Smoke4Less is currently open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The phone number is 451-9400.
