Rising Clouds: Cigar Republic Lights Up State’s Premium Cigar Market

 

When Joe Miller came home to Arkansas with the idea to open a premier cigar lounge a few years back, he wanted to create something that reflected what he had experienced during time spent abroad. The product of this vision, Cigar Republic, came to life three years ago and remains a one-of-a-kind experience for cigar aficionados.  

 

Miller, who is as hands-on as an owner can get, oversaw every detail of renovating the former restaurant space, located at 1315 Breckenridge Drive, just off Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock. From the curated wall of whiskey to the largest humidor in the state, no expense was spared in bringing the place to life. 

 

But arguably the most important element of Cigar Republic is something most patrons can’t even see — a 15-ton fresh air system that turns over the air in the room every 5 minutes. While not as sexy as savoring an 18-year-old Scotch alongside a silky Arturo Fuente, it’s the key to providing an outstanding customer experience.  

 

“Cigar smoking is not just about the cigar, it’s about the enjoyment of a cigar at the right time and at the right place and with the right people,” Miller says. “The environment in which you smoke undoubtedly affects the overall cigar experience, and that special environment is what we are all about.” 

 

Across America, good cigars are in high demand. The product’s wave of popularity, ignited in the 1990s, got a boost over the pandemic and continues to billow today. Cheddar.com reported in March that cigar imports rose 7 percent in 2020 compared to 2019’s numbers. And through the third quarter of 2021, imports were up an impressive 49 percent year over year.  

 

 

“There are so many cigar smokers out there. People just don’t understand,” Miller says. “Cigars touch every demographic. My brother’s going to a new church — he found out even his pastor likes cigars.” 

 

Smoking parlors have been around for hundreds of years as part of private clubs, upscale restaurants and even the homes of the wealthy where smokers — for generations, only men — might retire after dinner to a nightcap and talk of business, politics or whatever topic was at hand.  

 

Cigars and pipes were the first to be smoked in such places as the cigarette would not emerge until late in the 19th century. But once manufacturing processes were perfected, cigarettes became a global phenomenon. In 1901, 3.5 billion cigarettes were sold, compared to 6 billion cigars, per the University of Dayton. By 1965, boosted by Hollywood movies and large numbers of World War II veterans who lit up in the service, cigarette smoking reached a high of 4,259 cigarettes smoked per capita annually in the U.S. 

 

Cigar sales, meanwhile, experienced yo-yo popularity throughout the 20th century, from a sluggish 5 billion in the 1950s to 11 billion in the early 1970s. A low watermark in the early 1990s of just 3 billion sold, per the Cigar Association of America, revealed cigars’ base market of “old white men” was dying off with no clear market segment to take its place.  

 

In 1992, Cigar Aficionado magazine debuted, a publication widely credited with giving the industry a fresh set of legs. Not only did the slick publication educate its readers on what brands to try, its cover features on cigar-loving celebrities from film, sports, entertainment and politics — including a growing percentage of women and celebrities of color — steadily grew cigars’ image as a status symbol. By 1996, the comeback had gained a momentum that has sustained more or less uninterrupted since. 

 

The upscale cigar lounge has come along with this new popularity. During his time overseas, Miller saw examples of the cigar lounge at its finest, and seeing nothing on par with that in Little Rock, was determined to introduce that level of refinement through Cigar Republic. 

 

“You’ve got to understand, there are 4,500 cigar shops in America, and 4,350 of them are all the same,” he says. “You walk in, there are guys sitting around smoking. They know who each other are, they don’t know who you are. There’s no ventilation; smoke just fills the air. It’s just a good ol’ boy hangout. There’s nothing wrong with that, it serves a purpose. But that’s not what we’re about.” 

 

Cigar Republic is actually two businesses in one. The massive humidor — offering more than 550 varieties of fine cigars — is open to the general public for retail sales and offers all the assistance needed to serve customers, from newcomers to seasoned collectors.  

 

The other part of the business is a private club whereby members can relax with a stogie and a drink from the bar, which boasts a spirits collection on par with the cigars. Standard memberships go for $50 per year, while the more exclusive Locker Membership runs $100 per month and includes multiple additional perks. Day-rate and out-of-state guests round out the offering, all of whom enjoy a standard of service and quality of selection that wows industry types and discriminating clients alike. 

 

 

“We have hosted six different cigar makers and presidents and VPs of cigar companies, and all six have given us a ‘Top 10 in the U.S.’ rating,” Miller says. “Our local members really appreciate us, but it’s the out-of-town business travelers who always give us the most compliments. They have seen what the top of the market looks like, and they understand how well we compare nationally.” 

 

Cigar Republic has come online during a period when the cigar-smoking clientele is growing in diversity as well as numbers. According to the 2020 CDC report, Tobacco Product Use Among Adults-United States, 3.5 percent of all U.S. adults smoke one or more cigars per month, including 6 percent of adult males and 1 percent of adult females. Cigar use among Black adults is highest at 5 percent, followed by white adults at 4 percent, and adult Hispanics and Asians at 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively.  

 

Growth in demand has also come with its share of issues, as supply chain snarls have made some cigars hard if not impossible to get. Combine that with the labor shortage affecting the hospitality industry in general and there are plenty of challenges to go around. Despite this, Miller says, the reputation of Cigar Republic has thus far outrun any and all market issues. 

 

“To quote Field of Dreams, ‘If you build it, they will come’ — but you’ve just got to run it right,” he says. “I believe that when you walk into a place, if you’re in tune, if you know a little something, in two minutes you can tell if the owner is there or not, or if the owner has been there that week or not. If the owner is hands-on, like I am, it’s just got a good vibe.” 

 

He says the all-encompassing nature of the business makes it difficult to envision another location, although he gets asked about it all the time. He would like to open more retail-only stores, if the right combination of location and personnel comes along. But for now, it’s a full-time job and then some to continue burnishing Cigar Republic’s reputation as the state’s go-to for premium cigars and fine spirits. 

 

“[Cigar Republic] is really a labor of love,” he says. “We don’t close. My wife and I run the place. We live two blocks away. I’m happy to say that we don’t close for anything. We’re open every day of the year except Christmas. 

 

“I’ve just always believed if you build something nice and take care of your clients, the clientele will find you. They’re out there. You’ve just got to give them a reason to come to your place, and Cigar Republic definitely gives people a reason.” 

 

 

READ MORE: Ask An Expert: Cigar Republic