The Brick and Mortar Database was created by me, Ryan VanderBijl. I started this project because I wanted to print a map with pinpoints of the tobacconists of London. I found SmokersForums.org had a good database, but no map integration. ASP (alt.smokers.pipes, a newsgroup) had (er, has) a Frappr map, but it didn't quite do what I wanted. At the same time, Allen, of ASP, suggested that the same program could be used to track smoker-friendly restaurants.
And so I started writing the program. And I contacted Ron of SmokersForums.org, and he generously provided a copy of their database of shops. Greg Pease provided some data, as well as Sammy, who created the Frappr ASPLocalBM map. Without their data, this site would not be nearly so useful. Also, thanks to Ron, Allen and Jason (planetary) who all helped with testing and ideas.
Of course, I also need to provide thanks for Google for their amazing Google Maps API. Without them, there would be no maps, and this would pretty much just be another silly address book. Please keep in mind that to plot a location on the map, we need a longitude and latitude. This site lets users set the co-ordinates, and occasionally uses a geocoding service to determine the longitude and latitude; neither system is infallible, so some of the plotted locations may be very wrong, or maybe only slightly wrong. If you notice an error, please feel free to update the map to the correct location. (Or, at least let me know of the problem by using the feedback form below.) You may wish to double-check the location by calling or looking on the website of the tobacconist you are about to visit.
I strongly recommend you use the Firefox browser, and at least 800x600 screen resolution.
Access and use of this site is free. However, if you would like to contribute, we ask that you support the PIF project.
We also have a Tobacco Cellar Database available.
There are 26344 tobacconists, and 506 of them have been geocoded (placed on the map). The browse by country page includes a break-down by country.
Ideas for the future:
What does B&M stand for? Brick and Mortar. I.e. a real building you can see and touch and visit. As opposed to internet-only tobacconists.
Help! I just added a tobacconist, but it doesn't show on the map!
What's a QuasiLink? A QuasiLink is a link that you can copy and use to return to the page you are currently viewing. It is similar to a "PermaLink" found on other webpages. However, due to screen real-estate and other potential changes, when you load QuasiLink, it may not be exactly as it was before.
How do I delete a tobacconist? You don't. I do. Send me some feedback and tell me which tobacconist to delete. It would help if you provide a link to the details page.