With boutique cigar brands currently having their moment, Froman hopes more retailers will get involved in the fight to stave off the regulations that aim to slow down—if not eliminate entirely—the creativity sweeping through the industry.
Open to All
When asked how he attracts customers to his business, Froman reveals that he and his customers share similar interests and a love and passion for cigars that serves as the best marketing strategy for him. “I think people want to support the smaller companies. When you walk into our humidor, I can point out that we have personal relationships with every manufacturer. When you take the time to post on social media what you’re smoking, the brand owners of the companies that we do business with will reach out to the consumer and say thank you. That, to me, is just incredible.”
Beyond building relationships between manufacturers and consumers, the other appeal of Embargo Cigars is its design. It was important to Froman to create a brick-and-mortar experience and a place that customers wanted to spend time in. Typically, there’s a garden of tobacco occupying the store’s patio area. The patio itself pays homage to Cuba with the use of bright colors that give the store an overall Art Deco 1950s vibe. All of the store’s marketing and advertising is influenced by propaganda and is made to be tongue-in-cheek, reminiscent of the time period before the actual embargo occurred.
“We’ve created an environment that if you want to come in and smoke a cigar, commune and hang out with your friends, we’ve got the space,” says Froman. “If you want to hide out in the corner and be quiet and not be bothered as you do some work, we’ve got that space. If you want to sit outside and smoke a cigar, then holy cow, we’ve got that space. Our outdoor patio is a private patio—you’re not affected by the outside elements. It’s almost like you’re taken into a different world with the bright colors and the posters. We’ve got some lights strung up out there, and we’ve got some beautiful trees that kind of give you some shade. Obviously, in the summertime, it’s a little uncomfortable with the heat, but at nighttime it’s absolutely lovely.”
Instead of having a discount table, which Froman feels is a disservice to and devalues the brands he carries, Embargo Cigars instead hosts regular cut-and-light events that feature special incentives and has different cigar personalities coming into the store. These events generate a lot of interest among Embargo Cigars’ customers and often move a lot of products. Engaging with the customers is regular business for Froman, and it is another extension of customer service that keeps his customers interested and coming back for more.
The events and return to normalcy are welcome after having to work around the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Embargo Cigars remained open during the entire pandemic, and Froman and the store’s staff took every step possible to keep customers safe. With a degree in biochemistry, Froman knew that the best approach to the pandemic was to keep things clean and to encourage everyone to wash their hands with soap and water. In addition to making sure every surface in the lounge was cleaned frequently, Froman began offering curbside pickup and home delivery—and for those that desired to, he also opened up the lounge for anyone that wanted to come in and smoke. Froman also adapted to the times and started selling toilet paper and hand soap.
“We were not quiet about being open; we were vocal about being open during the entire pandemic,” Froman proclaims. “We had no major issues. Sales actually increased by about 33 percent because we were the only lounge open throughout the entire pandemic. We had a lot of customers that thanked us for providing them a safe haven for their own mental health, for some peace and sanity, in a world that was kind of going crazy.”
The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t the only obstacle Froman had to deal with in 2020. In November of last year, he was t-boned while riding his motorcycle home from his shop at 11 p.m. He broke nine ribs, suffered a cracked skull, shattered his clavicle and almost lost his leg. The next morning, he reached out to a friend and asked if they could open the store for him. When that friend and others found out why Froman was reaching out for help, the community he had built within Embargo Cigars all stepped up to help.
“That day, we had four customers step up to learn how to work the POS. We had two employees come back that hadn’t been working because of the pandemic. My girlfriend made a comment, “Look, all these people absolutely love you! They’re stepping up to keep the shop open in your absence.’ And I said, ‘It’s not that they love me, it’s that they love the shop. They love what we’ve created.’ And I say ‘we created’ because, for my friends and my family, it’s taken a lot to create what we’ve created—a unique lounge. We’ve never closed a single day since we’ve opened. We’re here for Christmas, we’re here for New Years, we’ve been here for Thanksgiving. The cigar lounge, for me, is a family.”
The camaraderie, relationships forged and networking that takes place in Embargo Cigars is not something Froman takes much credit for, but it does make him proud. There is some sacrifice on Froman’s part that is required to keep Embargo Cigars open seven days a week for 12 to 14 hours a day because he has other business ventures to tend to and a family that requires his attention. Still, he remains dedicated to Embargo Cigars and the family and friends that are also invested in the cigar store and lounge. Regardless, he says he wouldn’t go back and change anything relating to how he runs his business. It all comes down to what he knows is required to be a great tobacconist today: passion and a love for the industry and the products he sells.
Becoming Unbreakable
Since opening his store in 2017, Froman has learned his fair share about tobacco retail, from what products work to how to build and retain a customer base. As much as Froman loves the industry and cigars, he issues a cautionary warning to those that want to jump into the tobacco retail business but haven’t done so yet.
“Don’t get into the business—not if you’re looking to make money,” he says. “I don’t know of anyone who would want to start a shop right now, and if they did, if they were in their right minds. Obviously, this is an industry that people have passion for. If you want to open your own shop, talk to a financial analyst, talk to your psychologists, talk to your friends and family. After you make your decision, talk to your therapist again because to be successful, you’ll need to put a lot of time, love and passion into it. That is going to take a lot of you and the ones that love you. Without that support, I don’t know how successful you’ll be. If you want to get into the business, do it for the passion, not for the fame and fortune.”
Froman has also learned that, on a personal level, it’s very hard to break him—literally. He hasn’t let his accident from last year stop him from showing up each day, engaging with customers in the store, and passing on his passion for tobacco and cigars to them.
“What have I learned about myself? Whether it’s a car or lack of sleep, they haven’t killed me yet. I just keep going. It’s the love and appreciation that I get from our customers that keeps me going through days, weeks and months of continuing to work at the shop as we continue to grow.”
In the face of adversity or obstacles, Abe Froman is one tobacconist that won’t back down from a challenge. As Embargo Cigars quickly becomes one of Arizona’s most prominent cigar lounges and retail stores, Froman is feeding his passion for the industry by continuing to learn and expand his knowledge of tobacco and cigars. Years after being told his concept for a retail store that focused on smaller brands wouldn’t work and facing a pandemic and serious personal injury, one thing is clear—Abe Froman is unstoppable and unbreakable.
This story first appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
– Story by Antoine Reid, senior editor and digital director for Tobacco Business Magazine. You can follow him on Instagram @editor.reid.
