TOB Magazine

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[ 78 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ JULY / AUGUST | 17 ]
became popular. “I approached companies about
branding in 2004; I saw this as the future, especially
for people who travel, but cigar companies were not
interested. Then they all came back to me after the
concept caught on.”
Davidoff approached Seferian 3–4 years ago. “For
me, that’s top of the line,” he says. “It’s prestigious, it’s
worldwide, so after they approached me, I said yes. I
partnered with them because what they do is beautiful,
and I wanted to participate in that.”
Montecristo was another name Seferian had built
a relationship with for the long haul and wanted to
partner with. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” he says.
“We’ve been in business for 20 years. You build rela-
tionships and then they come to you—the customers
and the vendors.”
With branded lounges, “the name is clearly the big-
gest advantage,” he says. “It does bring in more busi-
ness, and cigars and liquor right now—that’s a must.”
Seferian makes note that the Phoenix market is par-
ticularly tough. “There are too many cigar shops here,
but the theory is if you build something different, they
will come. So I took it to a different level,” he says. “I
have a 1,000-square-foot walk-in humidor with a beau-
tiful selection of cigars. I have a distinctive interior
design. It’s the Bentley dealership, not the Chevy, and
fortunately, I have the clientele. I have to do it at least a
little better than everyone else.”
Ambassador Fine Cigars also has a second location
on the west side of town that Seferian is looking to ex-
pand. He says he is also looking at a third location,
which would be more than 4,000 square feet: “Here we
say, ‘go big or go home.’”
2.Davidoff Lounge and Casa de Montecristo
Lounge run by Ambassador Fine Cigars
(
This 4,100-square-foot “cigar complex” in Phoenix,
Arizona, actually holds two branded cigar lounges:
a public Casa de Monteristo lounge and a private
Davidoff lounge. The latter was modeled after Davidoff’s
corporate flagship store design. Distinctive architectural
details in the year-old lounge include a backlit, 12-foot,
slanted ceiling and a commissioned art piece by the New
York City duo URNY.
In addition to the main Davidoff lounge, amenities
include a boardroom offering members a private space
to conduct meetings and hold private dinner events, as
well as custom-built humidified lockers. The shop fea-
tures a 1,000-square-foot walk-in humidor, as well as a
custom bar offering spirits and catering opportunities.
The lounge is open 24 hours a day to private members,
and day passes are available for guests for 24 hours.
Since opening in 1997, Ambassador Fine Cigars has
grown substantially, winning two Davidoff Golden
Band Awards, as well as a reputation for building long-
term relationships.
“My business motto is to become partners with peo-
ple I want to do business with long term,” says owner
Vartan Seferian. “This business is all about relation-
ships; you build up relationships with your customers
and you build up relationships with your vendors. Re-
garding vendors, if you buy from everybody, you dilute
your business, so I’ve learned to consolidate my busi-
ness with those I like to do business with.”
Seferian is a big believer in big names, and he actually
wanted to brand a cigar lounge even before the concept
There are too
many cigar
shops here,
but the theory
is if you build
something
different, they
will come. So
I took it to a
different level.
Davidoff Lounge,
Pheonix, Arizona
Safe Havens
Continued