Smoke shop opens in New Richmond

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Chad Constantineau opened The Box Smoke Shop at 950 N. Knowles Ave. in New Richmond. He offers a variety of tobacco products and accessories, including Hookah tobacco.

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When New Richmond native Chad Constantineau got the idea to open a unique business in New Richmond, he knew he needed an education first.

He attended Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College to get his degree in supervisory management and never looked back.

Now CEO of The Box Smoke Shop, 950 N. Knowles Ave., Constantineau said he’s different from other smoke shops in town because of the accessories he hopes to offer. Constantineau is currently in discussions with the city about which types of items he can and can’t sell; however, he said he hopes to carry top shelf cigars, lingerie and adult toys by the end of the summer.

The Box Smoke Shop, offering tobacco pipes, tobacco grinders and cigarette injector machines, opened on June 14.

“I’m trying to offer new, innovative ways to smoke tobacco,” he said.

The Box offers something different in New Richmond, he said.

Originally offering tobacco products and various accessories, Constantineau said he ran into some trouble with the city when it came to his glass pipe inventory.

“(The police chief) said it’s drug paraphernalia, but I use it for smoking tobacco,” he said.

Signs throughout the store state all Constantineau’s products are to be used for smoking tobacco products only and clearly warn against drug use.

“I’m trying to get people to switch from grandpa pipes to a more modern glass pipe,” he said. “It’s a lot cleaner and if you’re going to do it (smoke tobacco), do it from a glass pipe.”

Constantineau said he’s aware that his customers might not be buying the pipes for tobacco use.

“I can’t control what people do on their own time,” he said. “I have signs up warning against it and I don’t encourage it, but I can’t control them.”

A variety of tobaccos are offered at The Box, he said. According to Constantineau, one bag of tobacco is roughly the equivalent of three packs of cigarettes.

“The only difference is the price,” he said. “This (bagged tobacco) is much cheaper than what you’ll spend for a pack at the gas station. It’s a bad habit, no question, but if you’re going to do it, this is the way to go.”

In addition to the bagged tobacco, Constantineau also offers Hookah tobacco, a flavored tobacco that is smoked using a multi-stemmed Hookah pipe.

“Each type has a unique, different flavor,” he said. “People who love Hookah tobacco love it. People who don’t, never tried it and don’t know anything about it.”

Constantineau said Hookah tobacco has a different effect on people than regular tobacco.

“This appeals to the 20-30 crowd,” he said. “It’s a different kind of tobacco buzz and a completely different experience.”

The Box Smoke Shop is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Customers must be 18 to enter. For more information, call 715-246-6066.

Tags: new richmond, business