My old stomping grounds in NYC was sold today to a firm with ties to Altadis and JR Cigars.
The following is the email the Fakhir brothers sent to their customers.
Dear Cigar Inn Customers,
We wanted to share with you some important news about Cigar Inn. A subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, today has acquired The Cigar Inn stores and cigar lounges located at 1016 Second Avenue and 334 East 73rd Street.
We have full confidence in the new ownerships vision for the future of the Cigar Inn. We have painstakingly built this business with passion and pride over many years, and we were very particular about who we selected to take this to the next level. We believe the new team is the right people to do this.
“I am a long-time admirer of the stores that Gus, Billy and Bass Fakih have built at both Manhattan locations,” said Rob Norris, president of the Imperial Tobacco unit acquiring The Cigar Inn stores. “We intend to maintain the relevancy that makes Cigar Inn the No. 1 place for NYC cigar enthusiasts to smoke hand-made cigars and hang out. “
“Despite the change in ownership, no substantial changes are currently planned for the stores,” said Norris. They look forward to personally meeting all of our loyal Cigar Inn’s adult smokers and continuing the great work we have begun. We have been sharing our knowledge & insights to ensure each of your needs are met.
The Cigar Inn experience will not change and will only get better with more resources and support that Imperial Tobacco Group is able to bring.
Warmest Regards,
Gus, Bill and Bass Fakih
