Business Profile: Den of Vapors, Carmel
When Jeff Avitabile quit smoking tobacco products, he hardly noticed.
A committed smoker for 20 years, Avitabile knew it was harmful to his body, but it still wasn’t enough to convince him to permanently quit. But one day, he was going hunting with friends and didn’t want to bring cigarettes with him because of the possibility of starting a fire in the woods.
Instead he picked up a cheap electronic cigarette at a gas station and it changed his life. He never used a tobacco product again.
“I was able to quit smoking cigarettes very quickly and easily and at the same time not feel like I quit smoking cigarettes,” Avitabile said. “It was almost like cheating.”
After his own experience with electronic cigarette worked out so well, Avitabile decided to open Den of Vapors in Carmel on Old Route 6 as an alternative for PutnamCounty residents that want to continue to smoke, but not face the health risks associated with tobacco products. After officially opening on April 1, Avitabile is ready to offer the highest quality vaping equipment and vaping juice for customers, as well as one-on-one support from Avitabile himself.
Avitabile certainly did not go into the business blind. Before he opened his store, he did plenty of research on the topic. One study Avitabile read indicated e-cigarettes aren’t really harmful, even if tobacco businesses want to refute that because they stand to lose money from vaping. From what he’s researched, he called the new product a “game-changer.”
Besides the health benefits, the Carmel resident noted the expense for e-cigarettes is drastically cheaper. While a regular-smoking consumer might spend more than $300 a month on cigarettes, he said, a customer could come into his store and buy a top of the line device and a few months worth of juice for only $100.
“This is ridiculously cheap, comparatively,” Avitabile said.
Avitabile said vaping stores and lounges are prevalent in upstate New York, like Buffalo and Rochester. There are also a few locations in the region, but to Avitabile’s belief, he opened up the first one within Putnam.
The store he opened is a wide-open space, a space larger than he really even needs, but Avitabile noted how vaping can also happen on a social occasion. He encourages residents to come in and have an e-cigarette and a cup of coffee in a relaxed location. He started thinking about opening a lounge six months ago and found the spot he’s currently at one month ago. When renovating the store, he thought about what sort of lounge he’d enjoy going to.
He said it’s exciting not just witnessing a new market of e-cigarettes get created, but also take an active part in it. He said it’s interesting to be part of a market not yet established.
“I had it in my head that if I didn’t do it,” he said. “I was going to see somebody else do it and I said you know what, let’s just roll the dice.”
Den of Vapors is on 97 Old Route 6, Suite #9 in Carmel. Its phone number is 845-225-8273. The website is http://www.denofvapes.com.
