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Merchants NY Cigar Bar

BREAKING: Merchants Cigar Bar to Reopen in December 2020

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In the midst of a global pandemic that has shuttered businesses everywhere and seen the end of NYC cigar industry heavyweights like Nat Sherman, there is a rare piece of good news for NYC cigar smokers. Merchants NY Cigar Bar , which closed in December of 2016, has announced plans to reopen on December 2nd, 2020. The website is back up, complete with a new logo, new design, and much more.

One of the few in NYC to serve cigars, drinks and food in one place, Merchants Cigar Bar will return with an all-new menu of premium cigars, cocktails, and food service. The lounge will have a new look and feel too. When the cigar bar was shuttered in 2016, management redesigned the interior space to a Mad Men-esque mid-century modern vibe and relaunched as Sugar East, a bar where patrons could smoke cigarettes but not cigars. The new Merchants Cigar Bar will keep the same bones, but with updated leather furniture and new visual features.

Fernando Rodriguez, Director of Operations at Merchants Hospitality, describes the new space having a “chill, modern feel” in contrast to the older, more traditional lounge. When asked about how the venue plans to open during COVID, Rodriguez described the rigorous health and safety measures being undertaken. “We have spared no expense creating a venue that New Yorkers can feel safe and comfortable in,” Rodriguez said. “From basics like heightened sanitation and mandatory masks for staff to plexiglass separators for tables and a world class filtration system that kills airborn bacteria and viruses, we are ready to open and welcome patrons in to our new experience.”

To start, the lounge will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. Currently, the lounge has a maximum capacity of 30 people, less than a quarter of its total capacity.

Merchants Cigar Bar is located at 1125 1st Avenue on the southwest corner of 1st ave and 62nd st on the Upper East Side.

Sugar East: Close But NO CIGARS

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According to DNA Info, Sugar East, formerly Merchants NY Cigar bar, is now re-opened. And NYC cigarette smokers can rejoice, because Abraham Merchant has apparently decided to utilize the grandfathered smoking permit that once allowed Merchants NY Cigar Bar to function.

Cigar smokers hopeful that Merchants would “reopen” as a cigar friendly Sugar East are out of luck. After looking at the website and noticing the word “cigar” conspicuously absent, I emailed Stefan Ching, GM at Merchants Hospitality Group, to clarify. His response:

The owners at Sugar East are clearly focusing on a very different vibe from Merchants NY Cigar Bar. Such a large departure from the previous brand, in my mind, indicates that cigar smoking will permanently be a thing of the past at Sugar East.
It isn’t every day that big news about a New York cigar bar happens, so we will be following this story closely and updating this article as the facts roll in.
Here’s more information about the new spot.

The venue is described as having “the mahogany, leather, brass, bronze and booze to transport patrons back to a time when men and women could grab a late-night cocktail and a smoke.”

The creators of Sugar East, according to its website, understand the new night-life spot this way:

“Elements of the decadent Havana High Life are integrated throughout visual and edible elements, including a nod to the fact that Sugar East is one of the seven remaining venues in New York City where tastemakers and troublemakers alike can grab a cocktail and an otherwise forbidden indoor late-night cigarette.

CLOSED: Merchants NY Cigar Bar

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UPDATE: as of December 2, 2020, Merchants Cigar Bar is now reopened after four years. Read more here.

The day that many of us knew might come has finally arrived, and another iconic NY cigar bar has bitten the dust. Merchants NY Cigar Bar confirmed on Facebook that it is closing down on December 19th after twenty years service. The cigar bar suffered from declining revenues, chronic management turnover and reduced business at its upstairs steakhouse which once was a neighborhood standard.

Merchants has long been an event spot for New York City cigar enthusiasts, and Fine Tobacco NYC hosted a number events over the last four years, including our widely attending Smoker Social series which lasted two years.

The list of true cigar bars (where cigars and liquor are sold together) in NYC has grown thin. The decline is due to a number of factors, including growth in city regulations and increased public antipathy towards cigars.

But its not all the fault of big government and the fading “good old days.” The demise of Merchants has lessons for the remaining cigar bars and lounges in NYC. With the exception of Nat Sherman, most NYC cigar bars and lounges have allowed their brands to stagnate. They still use marketing practices that are 10 years old — at best — resulting in a vibe that holds no appeal to newcomers who may otherwise become customers. And almost all continue to present themselves to the public in a way that is only relevant for 50+ year old veteran smokers who won’t be around forever.

If New York City cigar bars and lounges want to avoid the fate of classic venues like Merchants, they need to modernize their marketing and customer service practices, and more importantly find a way to invite newcomers in to the cigar scene.

Recap: The Smoker Social With Glenfiddich 15 and La Hoja Cigars at Merchants NY Cigar Bar

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On Tuesday, October 14th, over 100 New York City cigar and whisky enthusiasts attended FineTobaccoNYC’s second “Smoker Social” at Merchants NY Cigar Bar. The event featured premium scotch whisky from Glenfiddich, including Glenfiddich 12 and 15 year. Guests also enjoyed the Hoja de Flores Black Label, a new premium cigar from La Hoja Cigars.

Starting at 7pm, the event ran well into the evening. Glenfiddich and La Hoja were accompanied by a local Jazz quartet that played a sample of American jazz classics.

Merchants NY Cigar bar, the venue for the event, offered guests access to their luxurious lounge area with full bar and food service, a level of luxury only three other venues in all of New York City can boast. The event was also joined by Sara Elizabeth of Somm in the City.

Previous FineTobaccoNYC events have featured premium spirits selections from Johnnie Walker, Brugal, Zacapa, Bulleit, and cigar companies including Espinosa, Moya Ruiz, Alec Bradley, Reinado, Hispaniola, La Hoja, and many more. Sign up for our mailing list below to hear about future events.

Exclusive Tasting: “The Smoker Social” at Merchants NY Cigar Bar

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The Smoker Social

We’re proud to announce our first cigar event of 2014! On January 14th, come in out of the cold and celebrate with a glass of Glenfiddich 15 and a Hoja de Flores Black Label cigar.

“The Smoker Social” will start at 7:00pm and take place at Merchants NY Cigar Lounge, an iconoic New York City venue that has supported our events since late 2013. We’re excited to be working with management at Merchants to bring you another epic event. You can see photos of our last Smoker Social here, where we had Turei Cigars and Brugal 1888 sponsoring.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

The event will also feature live music, raffle giveaways, the Hoja Flores models, and much more.

Ticket price is $25 online and $30 at the door. Each guest will receive:

  • 1 glass Glenfiddich 12 Year Single Malt Whisky
  • 1 glass Glenfiddich 15 Year Single Malt Whisky
  • 1 Hoja de Flores Black Label torpedo
  • Raffle entry

We’re very grateful to all our sponsors, and look forward to seeing you at the event!

 

Best,
Matthias Clock
Founder, FineTobaccoNYC