Tobacco Business

[ 66 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ JANUARY / FEBRUARY | 22 ] pair with ample time and opportunity to really think through this idea of having their own space. Cabezas took this latest meeting, which happened thousands of miles away from their usual Seattle cigar bar meetups, as a sign to give it some serious thought. At first, both agreed that an online business based around a subscription would be the best approach. As they worked out the details of their subscription model business, Cabezas stumbled upon another opportunity while traveling in Miami: a former 700-square-foot Starbucks location that was available for lease that would make the perfect location for a new cigar shop. “It was in between two really nice ZIP codes, so it was a no-brainer, and the price was right,” says Cabezas. “We decided to go for it, and that’s how we decided to open up the business and ended up in that South Miami location.” The fact that there was such a disruptive event as the pandemic shutting down businesses and forcing many to hit pause didn’t deter either from figuring out how to make Terrible Cigar Club happen. The pandemic worked out in their favor because neither were doing much at the time when they decided to give their business idea some serious consideration. The seriousness of the pandemic fueled their ambition even more and convinced them that then was the best time to make things happen. With a location secured, Cabezas and Reo-Coker had to figure out how to turn the space into a real cigar lounge. To keep costs down, the two decided to handle most of the remodeling work themselves. As the pair painted, cleaned and did other necessary tasks, they also created something else that was much needed: magic jelly. “One of the big things that he and I both agreed on was that we needed to create what we called the ‘magic jelly,’” says Cabezas. “He gave suggestions, we worked really hard, we were very tired, we pushed each other to get things done, and we had friends come and help too. We were able to quickly realize that we had that magic jelly of respect, hard work and determination. We didn’t take each other for granted and were able to say that we were in this to win it and that we were going to keep pushing, even though we were tired.” Taking onmuch of the work and responsibility of pulling their store together not only brought them closer together as friends and business partners; it also helped them to better connect with their new business before it officially opened its doors. Now they had a personal story to tell about how their new cigar store came to be and the way that working closely together created a stronger synergy between them and served as real motivation. The pair had some must-haves when it came to planning their finished store, such as comfort and cigar selection. To make it stand out from other stores, the two also wanted to focus on bringing in quality brands that they both put their stamp of approval on. Tracking Changes Cabezas and Reo-Coker search for products that they view as being different to stock their store with and to distribute through their online subscription service. Even though they prefer boutique cigars, what matters most to them is their overall impression of the cigars, so both Cabezas and Reo-Coker must smoke each product and put it through their own review process and also speak to the manufacturer before making that final decision of whether they will ultimately stock it. “It just has to be something different that maybe the common person that is traveling to South Florida and comes to the shop might not see at his shop, wherever they are from,” says Cabezas. “We’re just trying to introduce different selections and different cigars to people that are coming in that area.” What Cabezas is also noticing after several decades of working in the tobacco industry is that today’s cigar smoker is different from the ones of the past. People who are coming into her store now are of a younger demographic, and they aren’t asking for the classic premium cigar brands that one would likely expect. Instead, they’re asking for suggestions. They aren’t loyal to just one brand and are In addition to having a physical store, Terrible Cigar Club offers a monthly subscription club to cigar enthusiasts throughout the U.S.