TOB Magazine

: What is driving companies like yours to es-

tablish more of a retail presence?

Rob Maneson:

We are expanding our footprint for a

number of reasons, but ultimately we want to be able

to service more adult cigar smokers across the U.S. The

consumer experience is evolving, we have added lounge

space and remodeled most of our stores in the last few

years to keep up with consumer demand. There are few-

er and fewer places that adult consumers can smoke, re-

lax and enjoy their cigars with friends and acquaintanc-

es. We believe our store model meets consumer needs

and we want to expand it further to a broader base of

adult consumers.

How did you go about selecting these three lo-

cations for Casa de Montecristo stores?

When we began searching for new locations across the

U.S. to expand, we looked at number of factors, includ-

ing OTP taxation, ability to open with lounge space and

bar, competition, population demographics and so on.

The cities we selected having growing populations and

are business friendly.

In partnering with a number of existing re-

tailers, how do the partnerships work from an

ownership standpoint? Will the stores carry

Casa de Montecristo brands exclusively?

Since 2008, Casa de Montecristo has been partnering

with retailers to allow the use of the Casa de Montecris-

to name. Previously this was run by Altadis U.S.A. In

November 2016, we announced the new retail division

(Casa de Montecristo), which will manage and operate

our existing retail businesses, but also work to expand

our licensed-based partner program in the future. Each

situation with each partner is unique. We work with our

partners to meet their needs while ensuring that the

stores have consistent décor, experience and other im-

portant details. The stores will carry limited exclusive

products and host special events only for Casa de Mon-

tecristo retailers, among other things.

Your three new stores are “ground up” loca-

tions, but you also have also done license-based

partnerships with existing retail locations.

What is the breakdown between those two for-

mats and what is the strategy for the compa-

ny’s retail presence going forward?

We have four licensed based partners and 16 compa-

ny-owned stores. We are in the process of re-branding

all our existing company-owned stores to Casa de Mon-

tecristo by the end of 2017, and all future new stores or

acquisitions will be re-branded to Casa de Montecris-

to. Casa de Montecristo is a singular brand experience

and approach we plan to take forward in all of our stores.

What do you look for in a retail partner?

We look for established retailers who offer a great experi-

ence. These may be retailers who are looking to expand

their existing footprint with new stores or looking to re-

model their store to an upgrade. We meet with them and

discuss both of our goals for the future.

As more and more cigar companies open

branded locations, how do you see the retail

landscape evolving?

The market is changing, not just in the premium cigar

category. I can’t speak to any other cigar company’s

strategy, but we believe the brick-and-mortar channel is

strong and will continue to grow.

Q&A

with

Rob Maneson

, General Manager of

Casa de Montecristo

The Casa de Montecristo

in Dallas, Texas boasts

a 800-square-foot

walk-in humidor.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PHOTO COURTESY OF TABACALERA USA

[ T O B A C C O B U S I N E S S . C O M ]

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