WITH SMOKING BANNED in many places and frowned upon in others, a new genre of upscale OK-with-smoking bars has sprung up: the cigar bar.
The region now has two such facilities - cigar retailers with a liquor license: Ash Cigar Lounge and Grille in Laflin and Big House Tobacco in Scranton.
When Big House Tobacco began in 2009, it focused on the "roll your own" cigarette business. Earlier this year, it changed its format, expanding its cigar selection and obtaining a liquor license as it focuses on high-end cocktails, craft beers and whiskey. The two-story facility includes a bar downstairs with several nooks for meeting and conversation. Upstairs there are customer cigar lockers and a room of recliners with a large television. A sun room doubles as a game room.
The clientele is developing, said Big House owner J.J. Fadden, a Scranton native now based in Boston. Big House has been prying off a piece of Scranton's competitive tavern scene.
"We need to get a foothold in the bar market," Mr. Fadden said. "We have to show people that a cigar bar is not a dirty, dank place, but a clean, welcoming environment that offers more than just cigars."
Big House is expanding its selection of craft beers. With bartender Tama Cook, it hopes to build a reputation for exotic cocktails and a top-of-the-line whiskey selection. Ms. Cook is experimenting with infusing vodka on-site to add a new dimension to original cocktails.
On a recent Friday evening, John Coggins of Ransom Twp. relaxed at Big House with a scotch and a cigar. Doors and windows open, the sounds of passing cars and people on Green Ridge Street spilled in, as Mr. Coggins enjoyed his once-a-week weekly routine.
"You can relax have a drink and a cigar, and no one looks at you funny," he said. "Plus, they have a top shelf-selection of cognac and scotch. What can be better than that?"
Before heading the his Boston based businessman, Mr. Fadden the was a record-setting Wilkes University football player from 1995 to 1997. For a time, he played football in Denmark.
As a college football coach in Boston, he began the ritual of having a cigar Friday night before the game. That became a daily ritual that evolved into a part-time job at landmark Boston cigar lounge Stanza dei Sigari. He became Stanza general manager, developed contacts in the industry and began a wholesale cigar business.
As roll-your-own cigarette machines gained popularity, he saw an opportunity to open a business back in his hometown with a modest cigar selection and several roll-your-own, RYO, machines. The machines were rented by customers, who rolled their own cigarettes. He placed his brother Darron Fadden in charge of retail and wholesale cigar businesses in Scranton.
The Pennsylvania State Legislature began to view the machines as a tax loophole. The uncertainty and new rules prompted Mr. Fadden to rethink the retail operation. Big House got a liquor license, tripled the number of cigars in stock and opened Scranton's only public cigar bar. While some bars and clubs may have perfunctory humidors and sell cigars, the cigar bar remains rare.
"This was definitely not part of the plan - it was a necessity," Mr. Fadden said. "We decided to push through another viable opportunity, something that hadn't been done in town."
There is no solid count on the number of cigar bars in the country. Associations that represent cigar retailers don't keep track of those with liquor licenses. Likewise, tavern associations don't track those that sell cigars or how they sell them.
But there is a hunch that the number is growing.
Cigars and alcoholic beverages are a natural combination, said Erik Calvino, editor of Cigar Snob, a Miami-based magazine. Cigar bars are popping up in areas that have aggressive smoking bans, he said. The city of Scranton banned smoking in bars restaurants in 2007, ahead of state in-door smoking ban. The regulations allow smoking to continue in bars whose revenue mostly comes from drinks, rather than food.
"People who used to have a cigar and a drink to unwind are now going to the cigar shops," he said. "The retailer has become the lounge and now in more cases the bar."
Several publications combine the world of alcohol and cigars, including Cigar & Spirits magazine. Cigar Snob has a regular section on pairing alcoholic beverages such as tequila, rum or beer with cigars. "Finding a perfect marriage between a drink and a cigar is a fun exploration that enhances the experience of the two."
Back in Laflin, Ash Cigar Lounge & Grille followed a similar strategy: endeavoring to make the 7,000-square-foot facility welcoming to non-smokers, with two television pits, tables where guest can enjoy a meal from the kitchen of Buco del Vino upstairs, a bar, walk-in humidor and a VIP room. Ash has developed a list of small batch scotch and bourbons. It's a smoking lounge, with an emphasis on lounge, Mr. Walsh said. "You want to get the smoke out as soon as possible," he said. "We developed a loyal fan base of smokers and growing base of non-smokers."
Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com