In this vapetender edition of Bartender Profiles, we visit Parlor Vapes, an upscale West Mobile lounge on Cottage Hill Road styled with leather seating, aged wood cabinets and a glossy stone bar. Owner Jon-Michael Thiroux, a Mobile native since 1987, says the shop is built around personalized service rather than quick sales.
More Than a Cloud Store
Thiroux describes Parlor Vapes as a place that encourages smoking cessation, not just cloud-chasing. Staff give one-on-one attention and answer questions about a still-new industry, welcoming newcomers without the hard-sell tactics he says some shops use. An average night, he says, is “relaxing, inviting, homely, and humorous,” with regulars becoming friends.
About 90 percent of customers are returning weekly or monthly visitors whom staff often know by name. The shop was the first to carry Fairhope- and Daphne-based Cyclops Vapor, now an internationally known eliquid company.
Supporting Local
Thiroux enjoys watching the Gulf Coast grow and change, and he backs independent business from LoDa to the Eastern Shore. For newcomers curious about vaping, his advice is simple: if you read things online, check your sources.