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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
trench marketing
BY MICHAEL GELFAND
F
rom the outside looking in, the
world of information technology
is about as safe a place in the job
market as there is in our economy. So what
led someone with 28 years of experience
in a booming specialty field to throw in
the towel for a startup cigar store?
For Chuck Horvath, walking away from
a career in IT to open a cigar store was
about following his passion. “I got tired of
information technology, and the timing
seemed perfect,” says Horvath, recalling
his emotions and motivations when he left
his IT job at media giant Universal Music
Group back in 2010. “I had been smoking
cigars since 1990 and always wanted my
own shop. In fact, I tried to make a go of
it back in 2005, but my partner at the time
couldn’t raise the capital to do it. So when
I lost my job at Universal I decided to go
for it on my own.”
Horvath’s seemingly risky venture has
proven to be a hit. He is the president
and owner of C&L Entertainment &
Leisure, which owns Cigar Station, a
cigar store/lounge located in Spring Hill,
“Fill ’Er Up!”
Chuck Horvath’s Cigar Station relies on product expertise, savvy web
marketing and consistent pricing to tailor its selection of cigars and craft
beers to its blue-collar clientele.