Lightspeed data gives Industrial Cigar Co. a modern competitive edge

For the six owners behind Industrial Cigar Co., business is a family operation

But running a business with six distinct owners presents a unique challenge: avoiding the chaos of too many cooks in the kitchen. In the early days, they knew they needed to find a rhythm that allowed them to scale without stepping on each other’s toes or damaging their family bond.

To survive, they realized their personal ecosystem needed the same level of discipline as their business operations. They adopted a rigorous framework of responsibilities, ensuring every family member had a clear lane to run in. However, they soon discovered that even the best internal alignment can be derailed by a fragile tech stack. They hit a breaking point when their previous point of sale provider decided to no longer support tobacco sales and summarily shut down their service at 4:00 PM on a busy Tuesday.

With a line of customers out the door and no way to process sales, the team had to pivot instantly. The sudden crisis proved that their manual workarounds were no longer sustainable.

Industrial Cigar Co. needed a tech ecosystem that mirrored their personal one—structured, interconnected and resilient

By implementing a system that meshes with their Entrepreneurial Operating System workflow, the Frakes family stopped fighting software fires and started utilizing their data to protect their position as a premier third space. Named one of the best cigar lounges in the country in 2024 and 2026, Industrial Cigar Co. distinguishes itself by treating every visitor as a guest rather than a transaction.

In a sector where many vendors still rely on outdated manual records, the team uses Lightspeed to bring a modern, professional edge to these deep community connections.

Their use of reporting through Lightspeed serves as a prime example; when attending trade shows, the team arrives with detailed sales reports that their own manufacturers often lack. By reviewing year over year performance on the spot, they can pinpoint exactly where a brand is underperforming. This high quality information shifts the leverage back to Industrial Cigar Co., allowing them to demand better programming and support for their members.

“The big value Lightspeed provides is how it allows us to legitimately stand out in our industry,” says Co-Founder Brandon Frakes. “When we go to trade shows, manufacturers want to talk deals, but because we are so data driven, we actually bring the sales data to the meetings, information they often don’t even have themselves. By reviewing our sales versus the previous year right there in the room, we essentially control the meeting. Having that quality information completely resets the balance of leverage at the table.”

This operational precision ensures the lounge stays profitable and efficient, which in turn allows the team to invest the necessary time and energy into their community

This efficiency is felt most in their back office operations, where the team used custom Lightspeed workflows to reduce their monthly ordering time from 12 hours to just 2 hours—an ~83% decrease in administrative labor.

Because their retail horsepower is consistent and reliable, the owners have the capacity to build connections that go far beyond the shop floor, attending members’ family milestones and standing by them through life’s challenges. For Industrial Cigar Co., the technology is the foundation that allows them to focus on the people who keep the business alive.