The Evolution of Cigar Paradise
Cigar Paradise is a brand within the cigar industry, represented today by three locations: Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café, Cigar Paradise Royal Lounge, and Clearwater Beach Cigar Lounge. Each location has its own character, but together they share the same foundation: cigars, service, and bringing people together for conversation and a good experience. As Cigar Paradise has grown, our House Blends, a selection of premium cigars, industry collaborations, pairing events, and signature cocktails created to complement the cigar experience have all become part of what the brand is today.
Our Beginning
Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café: Where It All Began
The first chapter of that story began in 2009, when Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café opened its doors to the public at John's Pass Village in Madeira Beach, Florida, a tourist destination surrounded by shops, restaurants, and attractions. It was the first physical representation of the Cigar Paradise brand, a small cigar shop of about 900 square feet where cigars were handcrafted in front of our customers.
Looking back, opening that first location was the most important step we had taken since starting this journey. Everything that came later grew from that first decision. Without Cuban Paradise, there would be no Cigar Paradise as we know it today.
As the years passed, Cuban Paradise grew with us. The original space gradually expanded to more than 5,000 square feet, giving us room for a larger selection of cigars and more space for our customers. But something important remains where it began: Cuban Paradise is still the home of our House Blends, where our cigars continue to be handcrafted before being distributed to our other locations. Over time, these blends have become an important part of the identity of the Cigar Paradise brand.
The Next Chapter
Cigar Paradise Royal Lounge: Downtown St. Petersburg — An Urban Evolution
The next chapter in the evolution of the Cigar Paradise brand came in November 2020 with the opening of Cigar Paradise Royal Lounge on Beach Drive, one of the key destinations in Downtown St. Petersburg. Surrounded by restaurants, nightlife, and the energy of downtown, this new location gave us the opportunity to bring our cigar experience into a more sophisticated setting while keeping the same foundation that started with Cuban Paradise.
The opening of our second location also gave Cigar Paradise greater exposure and new opportunities for collaboration, while allowing us to further develop the lounge experience. We created a setting where guests could enjoy a good cigar alongside a cocktail or spirit, supported by a broader and more carefully selected range of products designed to complement the cigar experience. This is also where we began developing signature cocktails, including our Smoked Old Fashioned and its distinctive presentation, participating in barrel pick programs, and creating pairing events that brought the cigar and spirits industries together.
The Next Step
Clearwater Beach Cigar Lounge: A Cigar Experience by the Coast
The next step came with the decision to close Cigar Paradise Boutique in the Sarasota area and move those operations to Clearwater Beach. In November 2025, Clearwater Beach Cigar Lounge opened its doors, becoming the third location representing the Cigar Paradise brand today. Located in one of Florida’s best-known coastal destinations, this new location gave us the opportunity to bring together what we had learned from our previous locations, while creating something that fit naturally into Clearwater Beach.
That setting naturally gave this location a different character. The atmosphere is more relaxed and connected to the coastal lifestyle, while still offering the House Blends, premium cigars, cocktails, spirits, and service that are part of Cigar Paradise. It also gives us the opportunity to welcome both local customers and visitors, including people who may be experiencing Cigar Paradise, or even cigar culture, for the first time.
Beyond the Cigar
More Than Locations — A Community
As our locations grew, so did the community around them. Over the years, we have seen customers become friends, conversations turn into relationships, and people from different places and backgrounds share the same space around a cigar.
Some are local customers we see regularly. Others are visitors we may meet only once before they return home. But each has become part of the story in one way or another.
In the end, the locations give Cigar Paradise a home, but it is the people who bring them to life.
“Good Cigars. Good Company. Time Well Spent.”
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