Tag: Shop News

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Shop Buildout, Part III

Saludos,
Greetings, fans of Habana Port. Are you all ready for the weekend? I don’t even have to ask as I know the answer to that question. Well, before you light your evening cigars with your complementary beverages, peruse this latest blog post. In this latest installment of our series on how to construct a retail cigar shop, we begin to see the details added. Trim, tile flooring and tasteful cedar walls have been chronicled during these dates. Now that I have that bout of alliteration out of my system, feast your eyes on the spectacle of our cigar shop’s birth. Enjoy the pictures and be on the lookout for another update soon!
June 22, 2010

The television area.

The Humidor Entrance.

The Checkout Station.

The wooden frame of the Humidor Glass Mirror along with door frames and door.

A different profile.

The Humidor is prepped for its flooring.

Another view of the Television area of the Smoking Lounge.

Looking towards the Front of the Shop, the opposite side of the Smoking Lounge.

Looking from within the Humidor, the wooden frame of the Humidor’s Glass Window.

June 24, 2010

Leading up to the door of the Humidor, the elegant tile flooring has been aligned.

The South half of the Smoking Lounge.

The Walk-in Humidor with tile flooring laid out.

Notice the addition of the ceiling trim and the Humidor door trim.

Our flooring specialist, Steve, is a true professional and delivers only superior results. Excellent man and future Habana Port customer and friend.

The first section of Spanish cedar that will line the walls of the Humidor for proper cigar storage and protection.
June 28, 2010

Close-up of the tile flooring (sans grout).

Additional tiles have been placed.

Our Checkout station, display cases and cabinet for our pipe selection and merchandising came in today. The cherry wood will complement the decor of the cigar shop.

View of the North half of the Cigar Lounge.

Our contractor is personally installing the Spanish cedar walls as the material is very costly and accounts for a large percentage of the construction costs.

Inside the Walk-in Humidor, the smell of freshly cut Spanish cedar saturates the air and heralds the coming of a holy temple that will showcase a great cigar selection.

Looking down the cigar accessories section of the store.

Close-up of the trim that accents the cigar lounge.

Working diligently inside the Humidor. Notice the installed door.

Ready for window installation.

Close-up of the Humidor Door Trim. Beautiful workmanship.

The Humidor door, stained and installed.

I think the Humidor is ready for some lighting.
Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port
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Shop Buildout, Part II

Saludos,
Greetings, fans of Habana Port. Today we post another segment on the buildout of our first cigar shop. The contractors appointed to this task bring several generations of experienced work and have done a tremendous job in constructing what will be the Northshore’s most magnificent humidor, lounge and cigar merchant. Below you will see pictures of the progress and categorized by the date we photographed the construction. Enjoy the pictures and descriptions!
June 15, 2010

A fine view of 330 Falconer Drive, Suite K.

The sheetrock has been done and this is the Storage Room.

The outer walls of the Humidor have been sheetrocked.

Another view of the Humidor looking towards the back of the unit.

A look from the inside of the Humidor.

Another view from within the Humidor looking towards the front of the Shop.

Looking towards the front of the Shop from outside the Humidor.

The Shop is moving along now.

The wall near the front of the Shop has wainscot siding to add an element of class.

Pre-stained wainscot siding. The aroma of the wood is intoxicating for sure.

Inspecting the day’s work.
June 16, 2010

Tools and equipment ready for the day’s use.

A view of the front of the Shop.

The Humidor’s front walls have been “wainscotted”.

Another front wall view. The air purifiers are being put in place now. You can smoke in peace and not worry about excess smoke.
June 21, 2010

Painting has begun. We chose a bright yellow reminiscent of a Cuban atmosphere. This color works well for cigar shops and will immerse the lounger in a pleasant environment.

Our painter meticulously applies the paint. He puts on 3 coats to really enhance the look. Notice the stained wainscot now.

A view of the shop from the back.

This is looking at the North wall where our high-def wide flatscreen television will entertain our smoking guests.

Now the wall is done.

Our owner is looking very pleased with the work that has been done so far.

A view of the front corner of the Shop.

The front entrance of the Humidor is looking photogenic now.

The wainscot ends where we shall put the checkout counter.

A view of the Humidor Entrance.

Well fellow tabaco enthusiasts, that is all for now but be sure to check in soon as we have many more pictures and a status update of the shop buildout. At this point we are a few weeks away from our soft opening and we hope to meet many of you soon!
Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port
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Shop Buildout, Part I

Saludos,

Good afternoon, Habana Port fans. Today we will begin posting pictures of the steps that have been undertaken to build out our first cigar shop. Consider this an educational primer in the retailing tobacconist side of the cigar industry. These were taken June 8, 2010 and show the unit having just been framed. Enjoy!
June 8, 2010

The Storefront from a distance

330 Falconer Drive, Suite K

The Humidor Entrance

The side of the Humidor looking towards the Storage Room

Looking towards the Front of the Shop with the Humidor on the right

Looking towards the Front of the Shop from within the Humidor

Another angle from within the Humidor
We hope you enjoy these pictures and understand the work that goes behind the scenes before opening our doors to you. Let us know what you think!
Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port
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A New Certified Retail Tobacconist Apprentice

Saludos,

This just in, fellow fans of Habana Port… in order to be the best Tobacconist the Northshore has ever seen (nay, this side of the Mississippi River), one of our sales associates, Luis R. Molina has just enlisted to be a Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT) Apprentice. By mid-August, the total of in-store CRTs will be two. In the meanwhile, Luis has to undergo training and studying before he can take a TU-administered exam in order to become fully certified as a CRT. In the meanwhile check out TU’s recognition of his apprenticeship right here.
For those who may not know, Tobacconist University is an educational resource for consumers and retailers involved in the luxury tobacco industry. Here is a sample press from their website:

Our Vision is to build and project the credibility of the luxury tobacco industry in order to gain cultural acceptance around the world. In that process, we create value for consumers, retailers, salesforces, and manufacturers while enhancing relationships, service, professionalism, credibility, and opportunities for the whole industry. Above all, we are preserving the luxury tobacco industry for generations to come.
A Certified Retail Tobacconist is the universal recognition of a Tobacconist’s certification and proof that he has undergone the curriculum and understands the codes and ethics set forth by TU. It takes many hours of hard work, training and education to become certified. Those brick-and-mortar shops that have an in-house CRT can be viewed with trust by the consumer as he knows the CRT will uphold the highest ideals of the Tobacconist trade.
So be rest assured, tabaco fan, you can count on Habana Port’s service, knowledge and values as we shall soon house not one but two CRTs within our walls and humidor. Until the next post,
Siempre Fumando,
Habana Port
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Introduction

Saludos,

Greetings friends and lovers of tabaco! We are Habana Port Cigar Merchants and it is a pleasure to have you browsing our blog. We are here to formally introduce ourselves to the blogosphere and to all who enjoy tabaco in all its forms. We especially greet and salute those who enjoy smoking cigars and pipe tabaco.

We are a new cigar retailer managed by the Molina family. Based in Covington, Louisiana, United States, Habana Port brings with it members of our team who have a tremendous amount of experience in this industry. Habana Port is not our first pony show and to illustrate our depth in the cigar industry we have been involved in the manufacture, importing, marketing and distribution (both wholesale and retailing) sides of this beloved and rich industry. Our family is of Central American descent and we have traveled the many tabaco growing regions this part of the world hosts. The members of our youngest generation were born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and have embraced America with loyalty and honor. In fact one of our sons proudly serves in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant.
Our love of cigars and tabaco (in case you were wondering, this is the Spanish spelling of “tobacco”) have resulted in the formation of our new venture, Habana Port. In keeping with the rich tabaco and cigar heritage of the island nation of Cuba, our first retail business had to herald the location that boasts the most unique cigars in the world. As a reminder to our customers, the port of Havana is the central point where the precious commodity leaves Cuba for the rest of the world. So it is with Habana Port… this is the central location where you will find the best cigars available anywhere for your smoking pleasure.
Habana Port will be located on 330 Falconer Drive, Covington, LA, 70433 in a 1,200 square-foot location. We will house our cigars in a large 300 square-foot walk-in humidor and plan to offer the most diverse selection of cigars at the most competitive prices on the Northshore. We will also showcase a wide array of pipes and pipe tabaco for those interested in this ancient art. Cigar accessories and humidors will be available to our customers as well. In addition to these great offerings, Habana Port will be home to an attractive smoking lounge for the aficionado who wants to smoke and relax in peace or fraternize with like-minded smoking gentlemen. The lounge will offer a spacious seating area equipped with leather chairs, a poker/domino table or two, a 47 inch high-definition flatscreen television, free wireless Internet connection, a cold drink vending machine and rental private humidified lockers for those customers who want to store their private stock and not worry about everyday maintenance. Habana Port will also offer regular cigar events brought to you by cigar manufacturers who want you to sample their cigars.
In order to underscore our credentials, we are the only cigar retailer in the Greater New Orleans area to house a Certified Retail Tobacconist. This certification is recognized as the top retailing standard by Tobacconist University and is earned after many hours of on-the-job training, studying and testing. Tobacconists with a CRT recognition ensures to the public that the retailer you are supporting understands the complications of the cigar shop industry and you can be comfortable knowing that when you purchase a cigar from Habana Port, that we have the intimate understanding and knowledge of what it is to be a top professional tobacconist. You can check out who at Habana Port has CRT certification right here. So make sure that the tobacconist you support, has the CRT Lapel Pin and a Tobacconist University CRT diploma!
As we finish our introduction, please come back for regular updates. We are not yet open but plan to welcome our first customers in the next few weeks. In the meantime, read this blog regularly as we will be posting pictures and updates of our first store’s buildout and construction.
Be sure to check out our Twitter and Facebook pages as well. Comment on our blog or other social networking sites so we can get your feedback. If you would like to drop us an email, contact us through habanaport@gmail.com. Until the next post,
Siempre Fumando,
Habana Port