Emporium

First off all the worst customer service of any head shop I’ve been to. OK so yeah I get the fact that you’re selling devices with which one smokes marijuana and other herbs, but marketing the business as a «Tobacco» shop. The workers are quite strict with terminology to an extent of intimidating threats of calling the police if you say the word «bong». My biggest problem is I bought an electric cigarette on Saturday April 20^th. The worker would not let me choose the color of the device I wanted and picked it for me. He made a comment of how I would make it be a hassle. Note this was before I paid. I appeased him and settled. I made the purchase without an Id and the employee said that I should keep the receipt BC the battery has a warranty. The next day my battery broke, and I called the company to let them know and ask what I could do about the situation. The woman who was relatively nice told me to «bring what you have and we’ll take care of it.».
I proceeded with that and came in to return the faulty merchandize. I was accosted by the salesman to show my I’d. Which I didn’t have because I lost my wallet. I told him this and he said that I couldn’t be I’m the store. I am 24 and look young so I’m used to this. Yet I had already made a purchase and wanted only to return or get quality merchandise, but the salesman with quite a cantankerous attitude wouldn’t do anything and demanded that I left because I had no ID. I’m most enraged by the inconsistency of this business. The merchandise is expensive and the employees are not friendly. There are plenty of other stores that you may buy the same merchandise, I recommend going somewhere else instead.

very small shop, and super high priced. i will not recommend it to anyone :(and we had no parking.

This is basically a glorified head shop, with colorful glass pipes littered all over the place. It’s nice, however, that you have to knock on the door for them to ring you in. Maybe it’s a throwback to when the Loop was a lot rougher of a neighborhood than it is now, but I don’t think it’s necessary anymore.
They do sell cigarettes there, as well as some cigars, so that makes it as a smoke shop. However, it’s kind of tucked away in a corner so you won’t be able to see it from the street.

This isn’t a tobacco shop. It’s a «Tobacco» shop. Tobacco in air quotes. Where everything sold is used strictly for tobacco and nothing else. Well, if you need any «Tobacco» paraphenalia, Emporium is a great place to start. The staff is really nice and helpful. The selection is quite good. Everything from traditional water pipes (of all sizes) to acrylics, wooden pipes, dug outs, hide outs to traditional tobacco and clove cigarettes. I’m moving up from a glass pipe to my first water pipe thanks to them. Here’s to happy toking.