Connecticut Gets First New Cigar Bar In 20 Years
Last June, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed SB 905 into law, allowing cigar bars to return to the state for the first time in over 20 years. The first new cigar bar license—complete with the right to serve drinks in a cigar-friendly atmosphere—has been issued to the Stamford-based Connecticut Cigar Company. The longtime cigar retailer and lounge received its license in January, and has been fully operational as a cigar bar ever since.
Connecticut Cigar Company, also known as CCC, now s the Owl Shop in New Haven, which was the only remaining cigar bar in Connecticut with a liquor license before the age of SB 905. The popular spot was grandfathered in after the ing of the 2003 Clean Indoor Air Act, which barred the creation of new cigar bars in the state. A few other locations were grandfathered in along with the Owl Shop, however, all have since disappeared.
CCC opened back in 2007, boasting a well-sized lounge with plenty of comfortable seating and a deep inventory of smokes. While you could smoke at CCC before the issuing of the license, serving and consuming alcohol along with your smoke was strictly prohibited. Owner Nick Casinelli had the honor of receiving the first cigar bar license in two decades because, as far as he knows, he was the only retailer to apply once the application became available in the fall. He hopes others in the state will soon him. “I think other people taking advantage of it helps us all out because now people are accustomed to it,” says Casinelli.
SB 905 came with a strict set of parameters as part of what the state legislature considered to be a “pilot effort.” To be eligible to apply for a liquor license, cigar shops had to be in business since at least December of 2022. Any shops that opened in 2023 are ineligible for application. The bill also stated that shops are only eligible to apply if they’re “located in a municipality with a population of at least 80,000 and no other tobacco bar.” Only seven cities in the state have a population of 80,000 or more, essentially allowing for only seven new cigar shops to apply for a liquor license.
CCC is fully operational as a cigar bar now, and essentially has been since the license was issued, but the process wasn’t an easy one. To qualify for the license, CCC had to make several changes and adhere to a litany of parameters. The installation of a specific ventilation system was required, as well as meeting numerous city ordinances from the point of application to receiving the license. “We really focused to get it done right,” says Casinelli. “I almost feel like I’m operating a completely new business in one respect.” The last few months have essentially been a work-in-progress but Casinelli says the reception has been very positive thus far, from long-time patrons relieved change has finally come to younger audiences getting exposure into a world that, for a time, seemed long lost.
The bill was pushed through the governing bodies largely as a result of the efforts from a coalition that included state retailers, like Casinelli, the Cigar Association (PCA) and the in-state lobbying firm of Kozak & Salina. The group hopes a successful “pilot effort” will serve as an example to the rest of the state and the nation. “We needed some case studies on how this would work, and now that we’ve been awarded a license, hopefully others will benefit,” says Casinelli. “It keeps revenues in the state.”
Glynn Loope, PCA’s director of state advocacy, believes Connecticut can help move the needle in state legislative bodies across the country that are working through similar legislation. “It’s an example for changing an antiquated law, and working the process to bring together two natural pairings - cigars and spirits,” says Loope. “We have also shared this bill with other states considering a similar approach.”
