James Lee enjoys smoking cigars and meeting people, so he launched a business in downtown Augusta that allows him to do both at the same time.
Lee owns Augusta Cigar Club, 722 Broad St., the former home of Ice Lounge & Restaurant. Large crowds visited the business during its soft opening on Friday, Sept. 16, thanks to the 2022 Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival.
“We didn’t sell much, but we did some good community work,” he said. “That was a cool weekend.”
Lee, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said Augusta Cigar Club is a new concept for Augusta.
“Cigar smokers here are not accustomed to a cigar lounge,” he said. “You can talk about everything from politics to religion and relax.”
Unlike a traditional cigar shop, a lounge allows customers to smoke inside the business. Augusta’s smoking ordinance prohibits smoking in all public buildings. But last summer, the Augusta Commission voted to grant an exception for cigar lounges.
Lee’s business sells cigars from around the world. The most popular are Ashton brand cigars made in the Dominican Republic. The business also features a full bar and often plays jazz.
Lee and his business partners did much of the construction work themselves. He said they only hired local contractors to complete the renovation project, which took about three months.
“We wanted to preserve the architectural beauty of the building,” Lee said.
While most of his customers are men, many women also visit Augusta Cigar Club, particularly on Thursdays for ladies’ night.
“Women love the flavored cigars,” he said.
Lee said the lounge already has 10 employees, but he would like to double that number.
“We’re still looking for experienced bartenders,” he said.
Lee also has space in the 3,500-square-foot building that he plans to rent out to businesses for meetings, seminars, and other events.
“This business works so well because it’s a place where everybody can meet everybody,” Lee said.
Augusta Cigar Club is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit augcigarclub.com/.
