TOB Magazine

For Orion Armstrong, founder and CEO of Cigar Com-

pany & Gentlemen’s Barbershop, cigar smoking isn’t a

hobby or occasional pastime—it’s a lifestyle. That’s why

the entrepreneur and self-described “lover of the leaf ”

decided to start writing about cigars, specifically vintage

cigars, for a luxury lifestyle magazine in his homeland

of Canada.

“I was talking to the publishers about the fact that

people just aren’t describing and reviewing fine cigars

in the same way that they do with other luxury items

like wine,” explains Armstrong, a commercial real estate

developer and business owner who started chronicling

his cigar experiences in

Preferred

magazine just for fun. “I

began writing about my experiences as a vintage cigar

collector and connoisseur, just reviewing cigars and shar-

ing what I’ve learned.”

Six years into writing about cigars as a pastime rath-

er than a vocation, Armstrong saw a piece of property

that inspired him to translate his passion for cigars into

a new business. “I kept looking at this place, a property

encompassing a 130-year heritage landmark in the heart

of Toronto’s Markham Village, and thinking, this would

be an extraordinary venue for cigar events,” he recounts.

“I went to one of my partners and said, ‘In Canada, we

have the benefit of access to Cuban and non-Cuban

cigars, but we don’t have the kind of destination place

for cigar smokers that you see in the U.S. and in Europe.

I told him that I couldn’t stop thinking about this prop-

erty, and he said, ‘I’m in.’”

From there, the concept snowballed, with the duo

deciding that the end goal would actually be much larger

—five locations in five years. “We pulled together a team

of four partners with strong business acumen, all cigar

lovers, each of whom brought different strengths to the

table,” says Armstrong, who has his sights set on open-

ing locations in Montreal, Las Vegas, Chicago and New

York. “None of us wanted to compromise. We all believe

that this industry, at least in our market, should not be

transaction-oriented. It should be about delivering a

phenomenal experience.”

The result was an evolution of Armstrong’s original

vision for the property that first inspired him into a much

more ambitious concept. “It’s really three concepts in

one—a traditional barbershop, a highly curated premi-

um tobacconist and a 3,000-square-foot event space,” he

explains, noting that the combination suits both the his-

toric location and the luxury experience he and his part-

ners envisioned offering. “There is a surge in demand for

this kind of gentleman’s experience. Cigar smoking is a

lifestyle indulgence; it is not a necessity like a roof over

your head, food or clothes. It’s important to recognize

that an experience is what people really crave. We engi-

neered our business model backward from there.”

And Cigar Company & Gentlemen’s Barbershop

delivers just that. Incorporating a mix of Edwardian

and modern aesthetics, the venue encompasses a cus-

tom walk-in Spanish cedar humidor, a vintage cigar

room and an upscale barbershop outfitted with Bel-

mont barber chairs in which patrons can enjoy a hot

towel, straight-edge razor shave and grooming services.

The experience harkens back to 100 years ago, when

cigars were purchased and smoked in barbershops,

which served as a gathering spot and social forum for

men, says Armstrong. “Cigars have a way of pulling peo-

ple together,” he says. “The walls between people come

down in a way that no other experience quite offers.”

Making It Happen

Cigar Company & Gentlemen’s Barbershop—which

drew 400-plus cigar lovers for its grand opening ear-

ly this summer—is relatively new, but the business has

been in the works for some time. Like many parts of the

Cigar Company

& Gentlemen's

Barbershop

Continued

[ 76 ]

TOBACCO BUSINESS

[

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

17 ]

It’s really three

concepts in

one—a traditional

barbershop, a

highly curated

premium

tobacconist and a

3,000-square-foot

event space.