46 TOBACCO BUSINESS | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | 22 At the height of Dr. Gaby Kafie’s career, things unexpectedly came to a screeching halt. It was 2007, and Kafie found himself in a bit of a role reversal—the doctor had become the patient, and the prognosis was not good. He was diagnosed with a very rare eye condition known as central serous chorioretinopathy. For most people, this diagnosis usually only affects one eye and the condition is temporary. Kafie, however, was diagnosed with bilateral ocular disease and was suffering from the chronic form of the disease. This meant the career he had enjoyed and worked so hard for was coming to an end much earlier than he would have ever expected it to. “This derailed my medical career, which was the only thing I loved with regards to professions,” he says. “I spent the first 40 years of my life dedicated toward becoming a doctor and being a doctor. I’ll never forget the day when my ophthalmologist told me that he could not give me medical clearance to go back to work. My life as a trained foot and ankle surgeon came to an immediate halt.” At the time he was 38 years old and spending a lot of time at home with his family. It took nearly three years for him to find a new passion, which turned out to be cigars. While he had been a casual cigar smoker before, he now had more time to delve into the specifics of the cigar world, including the different types of tobaccos, the different factories that made cigars and how they create blends. It wasn’t until 2013, when he was 41 years old that he decided to take that next step and turn cigars into a full-time business. “I’ve always had this belief that if you are going to do something and be the best, you’ve got to dedicate your life to that one single passion,” he says. “That’swhy I tell everyone premiumcigars savedmy life. The business and culture of premium cigars gave me purpose. I found a way to connect what I love—my family—with another great love of mine: premium cigars. The fact that this industry is so welcoming to newcomers is what inspires me to create new, timeless blends while at the same time helping others enter the business. Each day I wake up excited about being in the industry. I love every aspect of it, especially the people. I’ve been really blessed to work with the finest.” That’s only part of Kafie’s story. To truly understand why he got into the cigar industry and what inspired his namesake brand, you have to first become familiar with his family history. His parents constantly looked for the perfect place to raise their family and wanted their children to be able to attend the best schools. When he was young, Kafie’s family moved from Honduras to Spain, then to Jordan before they eventually made their way to Southern California when he was 6 years old. “I am themiddle child of three,” Kafie says. “My older brother Fernando Jr. wanted to become a doctor, and I followed in his footsteps as he was and still is a great mentor of mine. My sister Tiffany studied business management and lives in Honduras where she is married to a doctor. You could say we’re a family of doctors. Kafie family members by nature are all overachievers and very eccentric. We tend not to compete with others; rather, [we] find weaknesses within ourselves that we strive to overcome.” Kafie was a big sports fan and played several of them in his youth. Because of this, Kafie wanted to study medicine and specialize in a field that would allow him to work closely with athletes. With years of hard work, Kafie fulfilled his childhood dream. Kafie did indeed become a doctor and specialized in podiatric orthopedics, foot and ankle surgery, sportsmedicine, and wound care. Even though he no longer practices medicine, he maintains an active medical license, something he says he does so that his children will always value proper education. “I will always be a doctor, whether I am working with patients or not,” he says. “I love the education I received and cherish it with all my heart. Everything we master in life starts with education, and the same goes for becoming a great cigar maker, company and brand owner.” Kafie has smoked cigars since he was 18 years old, and they figured prominently into his downtime, such as the time he spent as a big-game offshore fisherman.When hismedical career came to an end, cigars seemed like the next passion for him to pursue. The more he studied and educated himself on everything related to cigars, the clearer an opportunity came into view. “I felt there was room for a brand that would represent our family and my personal story in life,” he explains. “I knew that this venture would take years; however, I knew without a doubt I wanted to spend the rest of my life building a family cigar business. Without hesitation, I flew to Honduras and went to visit the best cigar maker in the country: Rolando Reyes Sr. This is the man that everyone wanted to learn from.” Kafie traveled toTabacaleraPurosAliados, where hemet the lateRolando Reyes Sr. Reyes was the owner and maker of several brands, including A Left to right: Dr. Gaby Kafie with Manuel Inoa at La Aurora in the Dominican Republic.
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