I am not a cigar smoker, but after checking out the CigarArt website and reading reviews from Yelp and TripAdvisor and stopping by for a quick visit, I’m hooked. If you are not a cigar smoker, you may just want to become one after a visit to the friendly and enticing CigarArt in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas. If you do indulge regularly in cigars and have somehow not made your way to Oak Cliff to try a cigar, you may find CigarArt becoming your new home away from home.
Marco Cavazos was kind enough indulge us by answering some interview questions… now onto the interview:
You first began selling cigars out of a 40 square foot space in the Bishop Arts District in 2012. How quickly did that space become too small and why is the Bishop Arts District such a good location for your store?
We started with something really different. We only stocked boutique, small batch cigars. We hoped to share our passion for craft cigars, and we wanted to encourage cigar enthusiasts to taste something different. We thought the best way to do this was to completely take the big corporate brands off the table. Bishop Arts was the perfect location to do something like this. Oak Cliff welcomes businesses that want to push the envelope and take chances. We were very fortunate and started gaining so much support from our Oak Cliff neighbors that it was about six months before we expanded to where we are now.
What makes CigarArt the special place it is which garners the greatest of reviews from Cigar aficionados as well as from those who smoke an occasional cigar?
The short answer is we don’t stock anything we don’t believe in and we don’t follow the old rules. You don’t find the huge mass market brands. Our shop is filled with small batch cigars made by passionate cigar makers. And we do our own thing. We don’t follow the outdated “cigar culture” of your standard shop. By this I mean, we welcome everyone. We don’t have a private lounge or pretend to make our shop or our brands artificially exclusive. We love it when clients come in and say “I’ve never had a cigar before.” We don’t have TVs for clients to sit around and ignoring each other by. If you relax in our lounge, you’re going to talk to someone.
For those who haven’t visited CigarArt and maybe even for those who are looking to try a cigar for the first time upon their visit, are there any rules of etiquette or suggestions you would provide these visitors?
Let our tobacconists know its your first time. They will help find the best cigar for your palette, and they will walk you through the techniques for cutting, lighting, ashing, smoking, etc. As far as the lounge goes, our rules are pretty simple, leave your shoes on, keep your cell phone in your pocket, and enjoy.
How often do you hold special events at the CigarArt store? What type of events are these and are they relegated to the busier weekends or are there weeknight events too?
We have a few staples: poker every tuesday and live jazz every friday. We also do special events with cigar brands and pop-up cocktail bars with local mixologists. The best way to know about these events is to follow up on instagram at @CigarArt
How many different brands/blends are available at CigarArt? How many of these are your own house rolled blends?
We make three primary blends in house with occasional seasonal releases. We also make the La Bella Otero, and the Singer & Monk lines. Those we make in Esteli, Nicaragua. Everything we stock at Cigar Art is handmade. Our selection fluctuates between 300 and 350 facings.
Which house blend / brand seems to be your customers’ favorite? What is your own personal favorite?
Cavalier of Geneva, our local made Cliff Hanger, and our La bella Otero are the most popular. My personal favorite is our Singer & Monk Habano. It is made with 5 year old estate tobacco, which makes for a really flavorful and smooth experience.
With many great reviews coming from customers outside of Dallas, do you offer cigars online?
We offer our own production through our website CigarArt.com. That always includes free shipping. We also offer phone order with free shipping for any brand we carry.
Reviewers rave about the humidor at Cigar Art…. What makes an amazing humidor?
Educated and helpful tobacconists and a solid selection. We try not to overthink it. We stock brands we believe in, and our passion shows.
In addition to cigars, what else does CigarArt offer its customers to help make it a one of a kind experience i.e. food, pipes, live music, wifi, etc?
We have a small pipe and artisan pipe tobacco selection that we hope to expand over the next year. We also offer wifi, live music on friday nights. The smoking laws in the City of Dallas prohibit us from selling food or alcohol, however we are BYOB and provide complimentary glassware and ice. We also have a section of pub tables where patrons can eat, and we of course allow outside food. Lockharts BBQ, The Greek Cafe, and Si Senor are tremendously popular.
I’ve read rave reviews about your customer service, are there any customers for whom you’d like to give a rave review? Are there any regular customers who have been with you since you sold cigars from that 40×40 foot space back in 2012?
We have a strong group of regulars, many of whom have been with us since the beginning. The list is too long to mention everyone. Our customers in general are really great, friendly, and interesting people. The Oak Cliff neighborhood is so eclectic and interesting we get clients from a wide variety of backgrounds. All of them bring different experiences and perspectives to the lounge. We are very fortunate to have tremendous support from our neighbors.
Final question. When you’re not working, where do you enjoy hanging out in the Bishop Arts District?
I’m a happy hour regular to Boulevardier, oysters and an old fashioned. If I’m not there, you’ll find me eating the bacon sandwich at Parker & Barrows with a Sazerac. If I’m driving, its Small Brew Pub on Jefferson. I also have an pre-work espresso rotation between Cultivar, Davis St, Si Senor, and Oddfellows.
