Also in this issue:

• Good Life Guide
  Drinks: The Burgundy Puzzle
• Miscellaneous
  Editor's Note: Exiles
• Celebrities
  Ron Perelman
• Celebrities
  Forever Young
• Celebrities
  The King of Swings
• More from this Issue

Cigar News

Published in: March 1, 1995

Published Spring 1995

A New Cubatabaco Chief
Cubatabaco, Cuba's state-owned tobacco company, has gone through a shake-up. Francisco Padron, the longtime head of the agency, departed in early December. At press time, his replacement had not been announced.

At the same time, the agency officially changed its name. It is now known as Habanos, S.A., and it will perform the same production and marketing functions as Cubatabaco.

There was no immediate word on the reasons for Padron's departure. He was widely known in cigar circles outside Cuba; he had traveled frequently to promote Cuban cigars around the world. The architect of Cubatabaco's marketing strategy, he encouraged the worldwide system of Casas del Habanos--upscale boutiques dedicated to Cuban cigars--as a way to enhance the product's image.

Grand Opening
The much-anticipated opening of a new Arturo Fuente factory in the duty-free zone in Santiago, Dominican Republic, occurred in early January. Carlos Fuente Jr., the company's president, said only 45 people were now employed, but staff increases will quickly expand production. The factory should increase A. Fuente's production capacity to well in excess of 25 million cigars a year, even to as high as 30 million. Given the extraordinary demand for A. Fuente cigars, as well as brands they manufacture--Ashton, Cuesta-Rey, Montesino and others--the factory should help alleviate some of the company's back-order problems.

Cigar Clubs
A wave of new cigar clubs has hit major cities across the United States.

In New York, Tatou, a trendy bistro on the East Side, opened the doors of its "cigar club" in late November. The upstairs room, above the main dining room at 50th Street between Lexington and Third avenues, features live music, a dance floor and a bar. The Cigar Bar at Beekman Bar & Books also has begun operations, in midtown at 50th Street and First Avenue. The intimate room dedicated to cigar smokers features a special selection of cigars, via an exclusive association with Alfred Dunhill of London, and an extensive collection of superpremium spirits.

In Beverly Hills, Havana will open this March. Partners in the club include Stanley Shuster, a veteran Los Angeles restaurateur, and actor Joe Pantoliano, along with other Hollywood investors. The locale will include a full-service restaurant, a retail cigar store and a room for smokers.