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Dallas Loupot and George Camarinos Ash Brothers Mobile Cigar Lounge When Dallas Loupot and George Camarinos met two years ago, they hit it off. They both enjoyed puffing on quality stogies, for one thing. Camarinos had the professional knowledge of cigar brands and marketing, having worked as a certified retail tobacconist at Central Cigars, St. Pete’s downtown go-to shop for cigar aficionados. Loupot’s background was in sales and business. The two buddies started talking, well, dreaming, really. Why not open a cigar lounge? “We thought St. Pete Beach would be a good location since there aren’t any there,” says Loupot. “We did some research, talked to some people, but got no positive feedback.” Regrouping over a considerable amount of bourbon at a Beach Drive bar, another idea formed. A mobile cigar bar. “We knew the owner of Tampa Bay Tiny Homes and thought why not build a mobile cigar bar using the tiny home model,” says Loupot. Within months the idea started taking shape. “We looked at the different layouts and decided we needed a back patio for outdoor smokes. We also wanted a walk-in humidor and a bar with a cooler, comfortable seating like a lounge and a couple big screen TVs.”
The two St. Pete entrepreneurs ordered custom-made leather couches, two 50-inch flatscreens with Direct TV, bought a Chevy 2500 HP Dual for hauling and set up a counter display with 50 different cigar brands. They came up with a name – Ash Brothers Mobile Cigar Lounge – designed a logo, web site and social media pages and they were off. One of their first gigs was the Festivals of Speed in downtown Tampa, they also were hired for a private Super Bowl party, and have a few more festivals and events on the horizon. “We feel we are perfect for private events … corporate parties, sports events, weddings,” says Loupot. They don’t have a license to sell alcohol, but they don’t see that as a hindrance. “We are seeing quite an increase in cigar smoking around Tampa Bay, the age is getting younger.” Look for the two American flagpoles attached to the back smoking deck. At 40 feet long and 8 feet wide, this place is smokin’. Visit the Ash Brothers Mobile Cigar Lounge every Wednesday from 5-11 pm at Bike Night at Quaker Steak and Lube, 10400 49th St. N. Clearwater, FL 33762. Find them online at www.ashbrothersMCL.com or info@ashbrothersMCL.com.
March/April 2020
StPeteLifeMag.com
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