INTERNATIONAL ASSOC. OF CIGAR CLUBS ESTABLISHES “SAFE HAVEN”

Posted on June 9, 2008
Filed Under The Brick Vine, Luxury, Smoke Shop |

gOOGLE PICS The founders of one of the country’s largest and most successful private cigars clubs, The Metropolitan Society in Fairfield, N.J., have formed the International Association of Cigar Clubs (IACC) hoping to create a nationwide network of clubs offering reciprocal visitation privileges to members when they travel. They’re also marketing their experience to others who are interested in establishing their own private cigar clubs.

International Association of Cigar Clubs Founded to Establish Network of Cigar Club “Safe Havens”

Fairfield, NJ - The founders of one of the country’s largest and most successful private cigars clubs, The Metropolitan Society in Fairfield, N.J., have formed the International Association of Cigar Clubs (IACC) hoping to create a nationwide network of clubs offering reciprocal visitation privileges to members when they travel. They’re also marketing their experience to others who are interested in establishing their own private cigar clubs. Dan McCarthy founded the original Metropolitan Cigar Club in 1994 and wrote the business plan that ultimately established The Metropolitan Club. Following the passage of New Jersey’s statewide smoking ban, McCarthy together with Bob Lesnick designed and built the club from scratch, furnished it, and set up all of its financial and operational aspects as a means of establishing a cigar-friendly replacement for the lost venues its members used to patronize.

Now McCarthy and Lesnick want other private cigar clubs throughout the country to join together through IACC. “This will offer cigar smokers, even when away from home, a sanctuary to go to and relax while enjoying their favorite cigar without fear of reprisals,” Lesnick explains. Under the plan, the IACC would assist individuals who are looking to join an existing cigar club and help other individuals or groups in establishing new private cigar clubs. Clubs would belong to a parent organization; any member of one private cigar club would be welcomed and admitted to any other private cigar club within the organization. Cigarclubs.org has been established as a centralized internet location to provide the public with specific information on each member cigar club as well as upcoming events and club news.

The IACC is also offering individuals or groups an in-depth full day seminar on how to establish and operate a successful private cigar club, conducted by McCarthy and Lesnick. “Major players within the cigar industry have told us that the design we developed for The Metropolitan Society should be the model for all other cigar clubs in the country,” says Lesnick, “so we’ve taken this to heart.”