2019 PCA Magazine

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG JULY-AUGUST 2019 | PCA The Magazine 35 two places at once. He said he could only expand if he had a trusted partner who could take on the day-to-day operation of the business. Medina assured himhe would be able to run the store while at the same time maintaining his real estate practice. The two friends struck a deal and became partners in La Aroma de Havana, in historic downtown Santa Barbara. Each store has its own clientele, with Cigar Empire a haven for locals, and La Aroma de Havana a destination for the tourist business. Each store has also been successful from its inception, but for different reasons. Cigar Empire grew by word of mouth, by virtue of its friendly customer service and by becoming a part of the fabric of the neighborhood. La Aroma de Havana got a leg up frombeing located in the heart of a popular tourist destination and by the owners partnering with local law enforcement and firefighters for charity events and fundraisers, embedding the store into the community. Their mutual success led the partners to consider another joint venture farther up the coast. Just blocks from the beach, La Aroma Pismo Beach has a liquor license, a long, inviting bar and a spacious walk-in humidor. Its amenities and location attract cigar smokers, tourists and those just looking for a beer while watching a game. As an added bonus, a number of bar patrons have become cigar regulars as well. Medina believes getting the liquor license was paramount in deciding to expand to a third store. He had acquired one for his La Aroma Santa Barbara location, only to have the state rescind the license because of smoking restrictions, and after local protestors opposed the license. “I was selling beer and wine on a temporary basis,”Medina says. “After sixmonths, they came out with a condition where, if I was selling beer and wine, I could sell tobacco but I couldn’t smoke inside.” He fought the regulation for two years, but eventually had to throw in the towel. “It came down to us going to civil court, and it got to a point where it wasn’t worth it for us to go any further,” he says. When the opportunity presented itself to have a lounge and a bar under one roof in Pismo Beach, Medina was eager to capitalize on it. The store is managed by a knowledgeable couple who work full time, as well as by part-time help. Atalah and Medina alternatemaking the hour and twentyminute drive every other Saturday, and both are in attendance for all events, including their upcoming two- year anniversary. Both Lord Puffer Tobacconist and La Aroma de Havana/Cigar Empire discovered the formula for successfully operating multiple locations, even as each achieved that goal in its own unique way. What they have in common is a vision, a plan to carry it out, and the resources to incubate the new enterprise while staying focused on the business that provided them with the new opportunity. Their reward is having all the joy, without (toomuch of) the headache!