Ye Olde CIGAR SHOPS

These seven standout shops are the oldest cigar stores in the United States, each of which opened their doors well over 100 years ago

BY THOMAS PAPPALARDO AND GARRETT RUTLEDGE

Iwan Ries & Co. Chicago • Founded 1857 “Don’t kill each other.” That’s the half-joking reply from Kevin Levi, the general manager of the nation’s oldest tobacco shop, when asked the secret to maintaining a family business for five generations and counting. Chuck, his father and the president, concurs: “We’ve had a rule going way back that we do not discuss business outside of office hours.” “Way back” is a relative term for the custodians of a retail legacy that began before the Civil War. For Kevin, it means at least a quarter century at the shop and for Chuck 63 years. Within its long history, the business has undergone several changes in leadership, location, focus and even its name. The German immigrant Edward Hoffman founded E. Hoffman & Co. as a shop inside…

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Cigar Aficionado (Digital) - 1 Issue, January/February 2023

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