Tabacalera USA announced it will be opening a Casa de Montecristo branded store in Dallas, Texas. The new store will be a 4,300 square foot facility and feature a walk-in humidor, a rate and vintage room, and public and private cigar lounge space. The new Casa de Montecristo store will be located in the Turtle Creek section of Dallas and become the first Casa de Montecristo location in Texas. Plans are for the store to open this summer.
According to Tabacalera USA, the Casa de Montecristo designation is given to “premium cigar stores and lounges that exemplify the luxury, quality and lifestyle that have been associated with the Montecristo brand.” In October 2015, Imperial Tobacco Group formed Tabacalera USA to oversee its U.S. Operations. Under this umbrella is Altadis USA as well as its retail sales operations.
Since the launch of Tabacalera USA, there has been an aggressive expansion of the Casa de Montecristo brand. Casa de Montecristo currently operates stores in Countryside, Illinois (Casa de Montecristo) and Boynton Beach, Florida (Smoke Inn). Earlier this month, it was announced that the Cigar Inn stores owned by Tabacalera USA and the soon to open Prime Cigar and Whiskey Bar in Miami, Florida would receive the Casa de Montecristo designation.
Tabacalera USA says details on the Dallas store’s opening date and specific location will be announced in the near future.
Altadis going into the retail cigar store business in my opinion is unethical and terrible for all brick and mortar stores. I know they are all about making money, but it’s a terrible conflict of interest when they are trying to sell their cigar brands to stores next to a corporate Altadis store. Why would a nearby B & M EVER order another Altadis cigar? Altadis, SA which owns half of Habano’s is simply getting prepared for the Cuban embargo to be lifted where they will be the very first ones to receive Cuban cigars. Where is that future inevitable situation going to leave B & M’s? It’s a simple answer: with no or very few Cuban cigars that U.S. cigar smokers will covet! Altadis is setting a terrible precedent. I forsee more and more of these Altadis Super stores being built across the country. Why did Altadis buy the 2 Cigar Inn stores in Manhattan? Just another smart business move on their part to corner the NYC cigar market when the Cuban embargo is lifted! I wonder what other cigar store owners in the NYC, tri-state area or the ones in Dallas and the surrounding areas think of this? If I were them I would take every Altadis product off my shelves and never order from them again. There has never been a better abundance of great cigars to smoke that Altadis does not own!
Are any retailers in Dallas or New York City where there are Altadis OWNED (not franchised) mega-cigar stores upset with Altadis? Any retailers across the country worried that Altadis will build one of their muti-million dollar stores nearby? Why would you ever support Altadis again by buying any of their cigars if they are looking to compete against you and take your business away? I would love to hear from everyone on this as it’s a matter of great importance and the survival of small, privately owned, bricks & mortar cigar store retailers.