TOB Magazine

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[ 80 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ JULY / AUGUST | 17 ]
brand recognition now,” he says. “You never now, but
the name is out there. It’s a catchy name with a fun feel
to it. People identify with it. Even though we’re Fox Ci-
gar Bar, people always refer to it as ‘Fox;’ it’s easy. They
identify cigars in Arizona now with Fox.”
But like his branded counterparts, Fox believes in
long-term relationship building. “I’ve always been a
long-term builder,” he says. “I’ve never believed in the
short term or a quick buck. This is all about word-of-
mouth organic growth; we’ve built our reputation on
‘one customer at a time.’”
Fox also knows it’s all about the complete experience,
and he maintains that his is not the standard, run-of-
the-mill bar. “I not only wanted to be a premier cigar
store, but also the premier whiskey, bourbon and scotch
bar, too,” he says. “There are over 500 different major
spirits in here, the bar is extensive, and price-wise we
are very fair. We want it to be a no-brainer for custom-
ers to bump up to a more premium taste. We want them
in here twice a week instead of once.” TB
3.Fox Cigar Bar (an unbranded lounge)
(
The two Fox Cigar Bars located in Arizona (in Gilbert
and Scottsdale) were built on an unbranded name and
a premier concept.
“When I started this eight years ago, there were
no branded cigar bars really; it was a lot of indepen-
dents,” explains owner Mitchell Fox. Like Seferian, he
approached some vendors, but “no one really cared,
no one wanted anything to do with a cigar bar—they
wanted to be in high-end stores.”
So he took his own name and built on that, creating
a “very upscale cigar bar but with no feel of pretentious-
ness when you walk in,” he says. “People in shorts and a
T-shirt are just as comfortable as those in a three-piece
suit; they’re treated the same way: fairly and with re-
spect.” Beyond that, Fox is proud that “my look is sec-
ond to none; we are what everyone tries to be.”
That being said, is major branding in his future?
“I don’t really see the advantage for me; I have great
I’ve never
believed in the
short term or a
quick buck.
Ambassador Fi
Fox Cigar Bar, Scottsdale, Arizona
Fox Cigar Bar, Gilbert, Arizona
Safe Havens Continued