Wednesday, August 17, we had an event with the Independence Smoke Club at a bar/restaurant in Parma, OH called the Tradesman. First thing's first, the front was a massive patio with beautiful brick layouts and large 10 foot gates guarding the entrances. When you walk into the patio, there is a covered area with the bar and TVs, where patrons would sit around, grab a drink, and watch the Indians game, while the rest is an open area with seating all over the place and a cornhole set for those wanting to enjoy a nice toss.
But enough of the scenery, let's talk about how the event went: Amazing. We had a great time, with about 30-40 people showing up, trying some samples, and then buying a few sticks to enjoy later on! Everyone was wonderful too, they all wanted to sit and talk to me about the whole process behind starting the brand with the blending to figuring out what would possibly get a 22 year old into the cigar industry. But that was an easy answer, with me just asking them right back "Why are you here right now? Clearly it is not because you hate cigars. The same answer just led me to try and make it my life."
The early reception of our brand has been incredible to say the least. I am very proud of the blend we have and I am looking forward to working on the next one with hopes of having two blends at our booth at next year's trade show. But there is still plenty of work to be done and the hard part is not even close to being done yet. These events are an incredible help though. We got picked up in two more Cleveland shops just because the owner/manager was at the event and liked what they saw!
Things are going great, and we couldn't ask for much more.
