The Story Behind Cigar Paradise

Heritage. Craft. Purpose.

This story holds a special meaning within the Cigar Paradise Journal.

In the pages that follow, we would like to share the journey that shaped Cigar Paradise into what it is today, where it began, the people and traditions that influenced it, and the moments that gave direction to something whose destination was not always clear.

Long before there was a Cigar Paradise, there was tobacco.

Our family's connection to tobacco traces back to mid-19th-century Sagua La Grande, Cuba, where an earlier generation was involved in tobacco cultivation. What began with the leaf would eventually evolve into four generations connected to the craft of cigar making, passing knowledge, experience, and tradition from one generation to the next.

For our family, cigars were never simply a product. They were a craft learned through experience — through the tobacco itself, through the hands that worked with it, and through knowledge passed from one generation to another.

A Craft Passed Down

A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER

That tradition would eventually become part of my own story.

As a young man in Cuba, I made the decision to leave my university studies and enter the world of cigars.

I began learning the craft firsthand — working with tobacco, understanding its character, and developing the skills behind the making of a cigar.

What may have seemed like a change of direction was, in many ways, a return to something that had been part of my family for generations.

The destination was still ahead of me. But the direction was already clear.

Finding My Way Back

When I arrived in the United States, I had to start again.

I went through different jobs while building a new life, searching for the place where my experience and sense of purpose could come together.

Then I applied for a job at a cigar store in Ybor City, Tampa.

That moment brought cigars back into focus and strengthened the sense of direction I had carried with me from Cuba.

About six months after arriving in the United States, what I had felt in Cuba was becoming clearer here.

I was finding my way back to the path I already knew was mine.

Building Something of My Own

That renewed sense of purpose soon took shape as a vision.

The goal was more than creating a place to sell cigars. It was about building something rooted in the craft I had learned, the tradition I came from, and a personal vision of what a cigar experience could be.

The eight months leading up to the opening became a period of creation — developing the blends that would eventually be introduced to our customers.

Different tobaccos. Different combinations. Different profiles.

Each one helped define an identity that was becoming distinctly our own.

Then, just two years and eight months after arriving in the United States, that vision became real.

On March 9, 2009, Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café opened its doors at John's Pass Village in Madeira Beach.

The path had become a purpose. And the purpose now had a home.

A Vision Built Together

From the beginning, the journey was never mine alone.

Yaite Ruiz was there from the earliest days. Together, we built Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café, laying the foundation for what would later evolve into Cigar Paradise.

As the business grew, family knowledge became part of that foundation. My uncle, Eric Santana, brought his experience as a cigar roller, while my maternal grandfather, Guillermo Santana, contributed his knowledge as a blender and cigar taster.

Later, my cousin Tomasito taught me the craft behind the different figurado shapes.

My brother Dariel would later join the team — a particularly meaningful step, as the cigar tradition on our father's side had stopped with our father.

Through Cuban Paradise, both sides of our family tradition found a new way forward.

More Than a Cigar Store

As Cuban Paradise grew, so did the vision behind it.

What began as a small cigar store became a place shaped by cigars, conversation, and genuine hospitality — a place where people could slow down, connect, and enjoy the experience.

Over time, Cuban Paradise developed a character of its own.

We were building more than a cigar business. We were building a community.

From Cuban Paradise to Cigar Paradise

As the years passed, the vision continued to evolve.

What began with Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café grew beyond its original walls, while the values behind it remained the same — respect for the craft, genuine hospitality, and the belief that a great cigar is as much about the experience as it is about the tobacco.

As the journey continued, new chapters followed. What began at Cuban Paradise grew into Cigar Paradise, expanding into new locations and experiences while carrying forward the foundation established at our original home in John's Pass.

The name evolved. The vision expanded.

The purpose remained the same.

The People Along the Way

As Cigar Paradise grew, so did the number of people who became part of its story.

Family, friends, cigar makers, employees, and many others contributed their time, knowledge, work, and belief in what we were building. Some remain with us today, while others were part of different chapters of our journey. Each left a mark on Cigar Paradise’s story.

And throughout it all, our customers have been at the heart of what we do. Many have been with us for years, while others continue to discover Cigar Paradise and become part of the community that keeps this journey moving forward.

Thank You

To our family, our friends, everyone who has been part of our team, and every customer who has walked through our doors:

Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for trusting in our vision. Thank you for supporting what we have built and for continuing to be part of our journey.

What began as a vision became something much greater because so many people chose to be part of it.

Purpose Disguised as Doubt

Looking back, the path makes more sense today than it did while I was living it.

Every decision, every uncertainty, and every turn along the way was quietly shaping a direction that would become clearer with time.

Today, I understand what that feeling was telling me:

Trust the direction. Keep going.

What I felt before any of this began was intention and purpose, waiting for time to reveal them.

What began generations ago with tobacco found its way through our family, through the people who joined us along the way, and into what Cigar Paradise has become today.

Sometimes purpose reveals itself only after we have had the courage to follow it.

The tradition came before us. The responsibility is to carry it forward.