Lake View's Smoque Vapours Opens Second Location

As I waited last Friday to meet with Jared Yucht, the owner of Smoque Vapours e-cigarette lounge, I sat around a table (in a chair I later found out was made by Yucht) and tried the variety of flavors. 

It was a circle of strangers, all congregating and sharing and exploring, mostly without any interruption from the employees. And that's just what Yucht wants. 

“I want people to try it and let the product sell itself," Yucht said. He and the other employees, all e-cigarette users, hang in the background, available to answer any questions. "With it being so new, I wanted an unintimidating store where people could come try it."

He opened Smoque Vapours at 2900 N. Broadway in Lake View this March, and on Nov. 1 opened a Printer's Row lounge at 537 N. Dearborn. At both locations, people can hang out and try every flavor (of which there are many, including cheesecake, chocolate latte, root beer and regular cigarette brands) without charge. 

Yucht is confident that once people try electronic cigarettes, they'll decide to make the switch from actual cigarettes. After all, that's what he and his employees have all done. He said every one of his employees were customers first who came in, switched to e-cigarettes and were later hired. And Yucht first got into the business after his wife bought him a starter kit. 

He smoked for 20 years, then quit. But with the pressure of work and having kids, he started up again. “I was hiding it from my wife,” Yucht said. “She’d say, ‘I know you’re lying.' It’s life-changing."

Yucht believed in e-cigarettes immediately and began making flavors in his basement. While there are still concerns over the true healthiness of e-cigarettes and there are possible regulations ahead, Smoque's opening of the Printer's Row location shows a growing interest in the product. 

He said it's a healthier and cheaper alternative, and that there's no secondhand smoke. Besides those benefits, many places allow them to be smoked indoors. 

And for any skeptics, Yucht welcomes them to stop by to learn about the product and try some flavors. 

"I know how well it works," he said. "The only thing similar is that it’s got the name 'cigarette' in it. It has that similar comforting feeling where you can sit and relax with it. But it’s an alternative to smoking. It satisfies you in similar ways."

Learn more on the Smoque Vapours website.