2 minute read
Small Business Spotlight OLD WEST CIGAR AND TOBACCO
by KAY ROWE
Mike, Gary and Georgie Lee are local small business owners. They have proudly served the Colorado Springs area since 1991. Initially they established Old West Homebrew Supply Co at 303 E Pikes Peak Ave, just east of Weber.
During the resurgence of the cigar business in the mid-1990s, they took the advice of a friend, who was a sales rep in the cigar business. In 1995, they founded Old West Cigar and Tobacco, utilizing available space in their homebrew business.
In 2004, they moved to 229 E Pikes Peak Ave. Later, they expanded the Cigar store next door to provide more room for their smoking lounge, events, and other amenities as well as more space for their homebrew store.
They source premium, handmade cigars from Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, and have a selection of handmade briar pipes and tobacco. Not only are these a draw for business, but their large and comfortable smoking lounge, a private club, is equipped with WiFi. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed on Sundays.
Private club members pay $35 per year and must make purchases each time they visit. The lounge is available for private events such as celebrations of promotions, retirements, weddings, holidays and even Air Force Academy and Broadmoor events.
Their businesses are referral-based, mostly through existing customers and local businesses. On the latter, they belong to the Downtown Colorado Springs Partnership. To learn more about the benefits of lounge membership, please visit: downtowncs.com/ membership/current-members
