Cigaro Lounge Opening Soon in Dearborn
Cigar aficionados will soon have a new place to buy and smoke cigars. A vacant building along Michigan Avenue will soon be the home of a new cigar bar called Cigaro Lounge.
Ashraf Abbas is working on a plan to transform the small vacant building at 22037 Michigan Ave., the former site of the Hob Nob Gallery, into a cigar bar, which would be located next to the Double Olive martini bar and the closed La Shish restaurant.
The planned cigar bar would serve coffee, tea, sodas some desserts but there are no plans at this time to serve alcohol at this location. There also would be an outdoor patio lounge, similar to the one currently operated by the Double Olive.
The 1,500 square foot building is expected to offer comfortable seating inside for cigar and hookah fans, along with music and television sets.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Are there not enough of these in the East End? Now the West business districts
is going to develop hookah bars and maybe some phone card shops?
June 12th, 2009 at 7:07 am
We are simply following a strategy that is headed for doom in the west end. Where is O’Reilley and his cronies? They obviously just want a tax base, with no plan in mind.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Actually, it fits in nice because it is right next door to a martini bar. You don’t have to visit it if you don’t like but I give credit to anyone willing to make an investment in Dearborn or any city for that matter in this economy. So rather than dismissing it, I am going to wish him the best of luck. The market will decide whether it is a good fit for Dearborn or not.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:28 am
RobertB you are so right but, I also have to add that it is time for retail shopping in the West end. I have no idea how or even if it can be done but it will be the only way to save this end of town.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I am not a smoker, but I agree with Robert: I am happy to see another new business. It sure beats the vacant spaces there now! Good luck to them! We have these enclaves that are bars and restaurants, wouldn’t it be neat to have a retail enclave in W Dearborn, as well? How about it, City Hall?
June 12th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Wouldn’t it be nice “if” O’Reilly and/or his cronies at City Hall actually read this web site to see what is on the mind of his constituents?
Mmmmm, nothing like eating desert with the smell of cigar floating about.
I do agree that some business is better than a vacant building though. Isn’t there a cigar shop next to Maestros already?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
The retail shopping just isn’t fit for DTWD as currently comprised. Any business that does a demographic study is usually turned off by the low median household income in the surrounding area. Sure, within the immediate area of DTWD there are plenty of well-monied households. But, you start to branch out in any direction and that number plunges. Think Inkster, Taylor, Detroit etc.
So what does that leave us with? We could set up some Family Dollars, Dollar Stores, or whatever variation on the dollar store you want. They would love to come here. But I have a sneaking suspicion no one who actually lives here wants to see those kind of outfits populating our main drag.
Another issue that makes it difficult to attract retailers is the parking situation. Retailers lust over expansive parking lots and it’s easy to understand why; consumers are most likely to patronize the business that makes things the most convenient for them. Add to that the glut of real estate in other Wayne County communities more to suited to that model, the economic decline with no end in sight and it is really difficult to see any retail strongholds coming here anytime soon.
Not trying to be a spoilsport, just my two pennies.
June 13th, 2009 at 12:49 am
you are spot on johnny cakes!
The other aspect is the smaller size of some of these properties, Exactly what retail business that isn’t a chain survive in this area and with the downspiral of the economic climate in MI.
Also, I firmly believe that the 2 dumbshits that own the majority of space in the west end are probably impossbile to deal with when companies are looking to set up shop.
Plus, The exposure is far less than it could be if larger local/national leasing companies were marketing these empty properties.
June 14th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Off subject, sort of, but wanting to ask: Is Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory performing reasonably well? (Anytime I have been there, recently, I question how much longer it can survive—in that location—given what the area has become.)
June 15th, 2009 at 9:01 am
some time ago, I noticed via a commercial real estate website it was for sale
I do remember the asking price seemed way above what, if any profit they are actually taking in.
once the hotel across from them goes in around 2045 then they will get black into the black!
Ha!
June 15th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I suppose when the place shuts down due to a saturated market and/or low interest, it will be “paid parking’s fault” and we’ll have to listen to the usual crybabies wailing. Stopped by Howell’s on a weekday on non-hockey night. Place was full despite paid parking. How come?
June 15th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
good point,
I think the main reason it would close is do to zero exposure to michigan ave. Of course Caribu coffee disproves my theory!
June 15th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Right on Jane- paid parking isn’t a problem for Howell’s- I happily drop my quarters for an always enjoyable evening- good company, good music, and GREAT food!
July 1st, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Sounds risky… The state legislature may or may not pass a smoking ban this year, but a number of lawmakers are urging it contain NO exemptions, not even for cigar/tobacco stores or cigar bars (most states with smoking bans do exempt tobacco shops, since smoking is integral to their business).
I wish them luck, but they may want to keep their eyes on Lansing and call their senator and representative.