World-famous brands such as J.C Newman Cigar Co., Tabanero Cigar Company, and Findy Cigar Company are all manufactured in Tampa, FL.
It all started back in 1886 with the establishment of the first hand-rolled cigar factory in Tampa.
Soon enough, cigar manufacturing became the region's primary industry, providing stable work and income to thousands of people and deserving a formerly small one-horse town in Florida the well-deserved title of the world's cigar capital.
Over 200 cigar factories were established here in just a matter of several decades. They were developing rapidly, supporting local communities, and attracting investors, which led to Tampa growing into a metropolis powerhouse by the 1900's.
Here are a few of the brands that consistently contribute to Tampa's renown as "Cigar City" by manufacturing their cigars locally.
- Findy Cigar Company & Hookah Lounge
- J.C Newman Cigar Company
- Tampa Sweethearts Cigars
- Tabanero Cigar Company
- Long Ash Cigars
Tampa became an essential location for the world's leading cigar manufacturers and produced over 500 million cigars every year during the turn of the century. In the prime of their glory, cigar manufacturers in Tampa could be found in the fanciest board rooms, pool halls, lounges, and even palaces all over the world.
Let's take a look at Tampa's most famous cigar manufacturers that contributed to this rise and that still produce world-renowned cigars right here in Tampa.
Tampa Sweethearts Cigars
Established in 1912, this Tampa-native cigar company is a family-run business that carries its legacy and respect towards the cigar industry and people who work in it for several generations already.
Fuente family members play an essential role in the work and development of their Tampa-based manufacture, as they did from the very first day of its establishment. They claim that for them, cigars are not just a product, nor simply a lucrative industry, but a part of their family's legacy, their DNA.
Sticking to those principles and beliefs for generations, Tampa Sweethearts do their best to provide customers an immersive experience that makes them feel like a part of the family themselves.
The Tampa Sweethearts Cigars continue providing quality and service that hallmark the Fuente family's legacy and Tampa's title as the cigar capital.
J.C. Newman Cigar Co.
The establishment of J.C. Newman Cigar Co. in Tampa, FL, was both a strategic move of insightful businessmen and a call of the heart.
When Julius Caesar Newman, the brand founder, decided to move his manufacture here from Cleveland, he primarily wanted to be as close as possible to Cuba, with its primordial legacy in cigar manufacture and high-quality tobacco supply.
Ran by Newman's grandson Eric, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is righteously named among one of the last truly authentic cigar manufacturers in the Ybor area.
They manage to keep their legacy and pass it to their loyal customers using the machines from the 1930s. Rolling and packing their cigars in the atmosphere, sights, and odors of the authentic Tampa Cigar factory preserve the unique fragrances and highest quality standards.
Moreover, today, the brand revives the authentic art of traditional hand-rolled cigars that have become the foundation of the industry in general and Tampa as its capital.
Tabanero Cigar Company
This manufacturer claims to be more than just another cigar company in Tampa. In addition to their careful preservation and development of Tampa's Cigar Industry legacy, they strongly believe in joy and a sincere love of cigar craftsmanship as an integral part of the process.
Located in Tampa's historic Ybor district, they focus on hand-rolled cigars manufacture using the genuine tobacco leaves and the founders' Cuban heritage.
The brand's primary goal is to preserve Tampa's cigar history, bring it to life, and let each customer immerse in the unique atmosphere of Tampa's authentic hand-rolled cigar manufacturing.
Findy Cigar Company
One of the younger establishments in South Tampa's cigar industry, Findy sees their goal in developing and passing Tampa's heritage to the next generations. Their trendy and hip location off of MacDill in South Tampa embodies the new image of the overall industry.
Brands like Findy step away from the massive cigar factories of the past and establish mid-sized inviting boutiques that make the whole industry more approachable and inviting for each customer while preserving Tampa's rich heritage and legacy. Additionally, all Findy Cigars are handrolled in Tampa by a small, dedicated team.
At the same time, Findy Cigar Company & Hookah Lounge carries the same principles and goals as its ancestors did back at the beginning of the century – to support and develop local communities serving specific tastes and quality standards of the modern day.
Long Ash Cigars
It is another brand that has a well-deserved place in the history of the Tampa Cigar industry.
Long Ash provides exclusive hand-rolled cigars created by high-class professionals and appreciators of authentic cigar manufacture. Each customer is welcome to their Tampa location, where you get a chance to witness how a true masterpiece of a handrolled cigar is created right in front of your eyes.
South Tampa's storied history of cigar manufacturing continues.
While the heyday of cigar manufacturing in Tampa may have occurred in the early 1900's, the culture and inspiration that it generated still continues strong to this day. You'll find cigar stores in Ybor, South Tampa, and scattered throughout Seminole Heights and other Tampa neighborhoods. Findy Cigar Company and Hookah Lounge continues this tradition by emphasizing a young, hip take on an otherwise aging industry. Give us a call today at (813) 831-6700 or stop in and try one of our cigars that are handrolled in South Tampa!