Cigar Companero 2nd Editon March 2008 Arturo Fuente Jr.

      I recently had the privilege to speak with Arturo Fuente, Jr., on his family business, Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company. He also talked some about his hometown, Ybor City in which he was born and where his business resides. Growing up just outside of Tampa myself in a small Greek community, I know the importance of family and heritage. In our premiere issue we ran an article on the Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City in which Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company and Arturo Jr., are proudly involved in and rightly so. The town of Ybor City and the Fuente family name run hand in hand when it comes to cigar history.
      So to avoid confusion, we are going to set precedence for those who are not in the know. Exactly who is who and how the Fuente family is involved in the cigar business. Arturo Fuente I, is the original Arturo Fuente. He has two sons, Arturo Oscar Fuente (now known as Arturo Fuente Sr.) and Carlos Arturo Fuente. Arturo Fuente Sr, started Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company in Ybor City, which is now run by his son Arturo Fuente, Jr. Tampa Sweethearts was an original blend from Arturo I and the idea of selling cigars out of Tampa as a retail establishment was the realization of Arturo I in the beginning. Carlos took over the Arturo Fuente Cigar Company from Arturo Fuente I, which now is being run by his son Carlito Fuente in the Dominican Republic. The company now runs by the name of Tabacalera A. Fuente y Compania. Although they are all family, they are two separate companies. For more info on Fuente you can get a DVD with the family's history and also the story of the making of the Fuente Fuente Opus X that tells much more than we could tell you in this short time. However, for this interviews sake we are going to talk to Arturo Fuente, Jr., and ask him about his Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company.

AF Jr.: Hey there Marc, how are you doing?

CC: Good yourself.

AF Jr.: Good, Good, Good, I want to thank you for doing the interview and setting
up the interview and putting me there as well. I really appreciate that.

CC: We are looking to expand on our magazine and get it going and really
appreciate the interview.

AF Jr.: Sure anything we can do to help and I always appreciate the opportunity
to talk about our family history and us.

The only thing is when they talk about us (Fuente's) it gets a little confusing as
Grandpa did not have a middle name so he is Arturo Fuente. My father has a
middle name, so do I, so I became Junior just because of that.

Note: (In order to help the confusion the first & original Fuente patriarch of the family is referenced as grandpa or as Arturo I;
His eldest son, Arturo Oscar Fuente Sr. (Arturo II);
And his grandson, Arturo Oscar Fuente Jr., (Arturo III) will be referred to as Arturo Jr.)

CC: Tell me about your father, Arturo Sr. and of your grandpa who made it all start in Ybor City. They are such memorable men who have granted us this beautiful industry we have today.

AF Jr.: The Fuente family's tobacco roots go back to the old world Cuba of the
1800's. Grandpa (Arturo Fuente I) learned the art of cultivating tobacco and
manufacturing handmade cigars from his father in Cuba. At age 14 in 1902,
Arturo I (Grandpa) left on a ship to Key West, Florida, where he worked as a
cigar maker in different cigar factories and in 1910 he moved to Tampa. In 1912,
he opened a cigar factory in West Tampa called A. Fuente & Company. One of
his brands was Tampa Sweethearts. This factory burnt down in 1924 and at that
time Arturo I (Grandpa) went to work for other cigar manufacturers. In the
mid 40s he started back up at his home in Ybor City and then later moved in to
the Charles the Great cigar factory building in the mid-60's (read further in
interview for more about this factory). At the age of 85 on February 11, 1973,
my grandfather passed away. I am proud that my wife of 34 years was able to
meet and know my grandfather before he left us. My father (Arturo Fuente Sr.)
retired from the Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory in December 1994. After retirement,
he decided to open a retail and mail-order business called the
Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company within the Charles the Great Building
located in Ybor City, which is one of the original Fuente factories.) The name
Tampa Sweethearts was inspired to commemorate one of my grandfather's first
cigar brands. This brand label is also the company's current logo of two sweethearts in a rowboat. Today, you can still catch Dad, Tuesday's through Saturday's greeting customers with his most humble smile. He has many stories to tell and much family history that he likes to share of the old days.

CC: Tell us about Ybor City, I am in awe of this town, it is so diverse and like a little hometown that everyone dreams of being from, and most important the Cigar City of America?

AF Jr.: I was born in Ybor City at the AA Gonzalez Clinic which today is a boutique hotel in the heart of Ybor City called the Don Vicente de Ybor Inn. I was raised in Ybor City and have seen many changes throughout the years. I remember as a little boy walking down Main Street with my grandparents and family. We would shop and go to the theatre and also spend time in the family's cigar factory. During the summer breaks from school we would help out in the cigar factory and some of my fondest memories as a young kid were from there. I will always remember my grandfather (Arturo Fuente I) taking his grandkids to the Alvarez restaurant in Ybor City for lunch. We all looked forward to this and grandpa was always proud of his grandkids. We would eat breaded steak, white rice, and black beans, which of course today still remains one of my favorite Spanish dishes.

CC: So what was your impression as a youngster about the cigar industry?

AF Jr.: While growing up in the cigar business and being around machinery at
the cigar factory, I was always fascinated with these machines. This fascination
led me to pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of South Florida in 1978. I was the first from my family to graduat
e from college. After earning my degree, I worked for over 18 years with
General Electric and Lockheed Martin Corporation at their Pinellas Plant in
the engineering and manufacturing areas as an engineer and later as a manager.
At that location we built components for the nuclear weapons for the
United States Department of Energy. In 1997 they
decided to close the facility so I began working at
Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company since the cigar business was starting to
grow and dad (Arturo II) needed my assistance. We changed the whole
business as far as concept and in 1999 I became president of
Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company. We at Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company
take pride in our family's history and make our customers feel like part of the
family. Everyone that works in the business here is related in one way or another. Today, my daughter, Kristin, is also part of the business. She is currently VP of Finance and MIS. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) in 2002, and her dual Masters degree in MIS and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 2004 also from the University of S. Florida. As you can see we are truly a family business with three generations keeping the tradition still smokin'.

CC: So back to Ybor City, as this is the fascinating part to me, what kind of obstacles has Ybor City withstood in the years?

AF Jr.: Ybor City was the cigar capital of the world. At the industry's peak, the district's 200 cigar factories employed about 12,000 cigar workers and produced an estimated 700 million cigars annually. But as industry issues such as mechanization and the popularity of cigarettes, and national factors such as the Great Depression and prohibition took their toll on the city, the cigar district declined. By 1890 the population of Tampa was about 5,500. Most residents made their living from cigar making, while the occupations of many other workers revolved around the cigar trade. The art of cigar making died and manufacturers had to move their operations out of the country to find workers. Ybor City has had its struggles but it will always still be our cigar town filled with wonderful history and memories.

CC: Such a beautiful tight knit diverse community, what does the historical cigar town of Ybor City mean to you personally?

AF Jr.: Today, Ybor City has rejuvenated itself and has now become an exciting area with new local businesses, restaurants, residential apartments, renovated old houses, and new condos. In the mornings you can smell the scent of Cuban coffee being roasted till late in the evenings with music from one of the many clubs on 7th Avenue (Ybor's famous well known street also called La Septima). I love walking around a town that is so rich in history and just knowing that my family had a part in it is incredible to me.

CC: Tell us about your favorite places to relax and enjoy in Ybor City?

AF Jr.: I enjoy seeing the historical buildings and its architecture and watching the diverse cultures that Ybor City encompasses. Strolling down 7th Avenue while smoking my cigar, visiting friends, unique shops and restaurants are all relaxing to me. Some of my favorite places are the Columbia restaurant which just celebrated their 103rd Anniversary. You may not know this, but they began as a small café that provided Cuban sandwiches and coffee to the local cigar workers. I also enjoy Carmine's Restaurant for their big deviled crabs. Another favorite is having a traditional Cuban sandwich for lunch or in the morning, my Café con Leche with toasted Cuban bread from La Tropicana Cafe.

CC: So you are now in the original building in Ybor City that Fuente started in, this is a real piece of history, what does that feel like, seems to me it's like living in the White House?

AF Jr.: The Arturo Fuente Cigar factory moved into this building
in the mid 60's and continued manufacturing cigars at this location
through the 80's. This building was built by Salvador Rodriquez
in 1895 and was considered to be an architectural triumph and he
was a prominent cigar maker. This building is referred to as
"Charles the Great" building which was Salvador's most popular
cigar brand. The factory accommodated up to 500 workers and was
the only factory in the country at that time that had an underground
humidor built into the basement. Salvador Rodriquez died in 1922,
but his spirit lives on behind the red brick walls of this factory.
Today, this building is still owned by the Fuente family and
Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company operates its business from here.
I'm proud to be working in a building that means so much to our
family.

CC: What blends does Tampa Sweethearts carry? And also the Tampa Sweetheart line, what makes them original?

AF Jr.: Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Co., only sells Fuente made products. You can find all of the Arturo Fuente collection of premium boxed cigars such as the "Don Carlos" & "Hemingway" series along with other Fuente varieties including the "Montesino" cigars, one of its older made brands. We also sell the Ashton, Cuesta-Rey, and Diamond Crown brands which are also made by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. You can even find rare Fuente brands like "Fuente Fuente Opus X" and other limited cigars here. In addition, you will find our very popular Flor de Ybor City premium bundled cigars & may also enjoy our "Tampa Sweethearts," apprentice-rolled inexpensive everyday smokes. Our Tampa Sweetheart cigars are non-banded smokes made by the students down in the factory that are learning the art of hand-rolling and use a lesser grade of tobacco quality. We want to deliver the perfect cigar experience to an array of customers' preferences. We also have plenty of Fuente memorabilia such as polo shirts, t-shirts, purses, and caps; desktop and travel humidors, cigar labels, lighters, and other misc. cigar accessories for purchase.

CC: The Flor de Ybor City brand is made for you by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., can you tell us the requests you make to make them special for you?

AF Jr.:   This is our most popular and affordable brand which is exclusively made for
us by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. These premium cigars are packaged in an
inexpensive cellophane bundle of 20 cigars and come in a variety of sizes and flavors.
We don't package them in boxes to be more cost effective for our customers. It has
a blend of the finest Dominican long filler tobaccos specially aged for maximum
flavor and smoothness. These cigars are skillfully hand-rolled with a delicate
Connecticut shade (light natural) wrapper or a dark rich (maduro) Connecticut
broadleaf wrapper. Also the Belicoso and the No. 85 are available with the
flavorful Sungrown wrapper grown in Ecuador. The Flor de Ybor City No. 80
(6" x 50Ga) is one of our top sellers and the Belicoso (5 ½" x 49Ga) with the
Sungrown wrapper is my personal favorite everyday smoke.

CC: How can one that is not able to make it to Ybor City and visit
Tampa Sweethearts get some of your cigars?

AF Jr.: Most people know of Tampa Sweethearts because of word of mouth
from one cigar aficionado to another. Now with the use of technology and the
World Wide Web, the company's website, www.tampasweetheart.com, generates traffic
for the business as well. So if you are unable to make it to our retail outlet here in Ybor City, just visit us online or just give us a call toll-free at # 877-smoke-us. We're always here to serve.

CC: I found the Tampa Sweetheart site and have been talking with Darlene since and have landed some real awesome deals, she helped me tremendously with the Cigar Heritage Festival article last issue and is always very helpful, just how does Darlene fit into the operations at Tampa Sweethearts?

AF Jr.: Darlene manages our Marketing & Sales and she oversees everything with our website. She is my sister-in-law. I am fortunate to be married to her oldest sister. She also does all the advertising for Tampa Sweethearts as well as developing relationships with valuable customers. She enjoys talking to people from all over. She is key to our organization and is well knowledgeable of cigars and the cigar industry which customers have come to know her as the "Cigar Girl."

CC: Who else in the cigar industry do you admire and find interesting?

AF Jr.: Along with our family history, we have two very close friends who are the great grandsons of two of Ybor City's greatest cigar pioneers. Rafael Martinez-Ybor is the great grandson of Vicente Martinez-Ybor, the founder of Ybor City, and Tommy Vance who is the great grandson of Ignacio Haya who's factory produced the very first manufactured hand-rolled cigar in Ybor City. My dad and Tommy are one of the largest collectors of old cigar labels in the world. The Haya & Ybor families have a tremendous wealth of history in this town of ours and we are privileged to know them.

CC: On a little more personal note, I have some questions from some of our readers, What is Arturo Fuenete Jr.'s favorite cigar?

AF Jr.: One of my favorite evening cigars is the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos. I truly enjoy the Cameroon aged wrapper after a fine meal. For my everyday smoke in the office, I enjoy the Ybor Belicoso. I love the sungrown wrapper from Ecuador. I have many favorites so it's hard to pinpoint just one so I vary and smoke the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol and the Cuesta Rey Centro Fino cigars as well.

CC: Another question from the gallery, What method of storing and aging
your personal cigars do you use, anything special?

AF Jr.: I am fortunate to have a large humidor here where we store our products
that I use for my private stock. In my office you will find a beautiful red God of Fire
humidor where I keep some of my VERY special smokes.

CC: Anything you want to tell our readers about you, Tampa Sweethearts or
anything for that matter?

AF Jr.: From generation to generation the understanding of history, knowledge of
products, and the respect toward the cigar industry has been passed down from one
family member to another. This aspect is what makes us prideful of what we do.
Our cigars are not only products that we sell, but more importantly, these cigars are part of our blood, our heritage, and our roots. It is within each and every one of us and passed from generation to generation. We grew up in this industry completely immersed in this business. Customers can tell how proud we are of our family. We show our loyalty through all the products that our family manufactures.

CC: What do you see as the biggest challenges ahead for your company and the industry?

AF Jr.: The biggest challenge we see is local, state and federal regulation of cigars. We are concerned about that and it appears in a few years you won't be able to smoke indoors anywhere anymore. We are also concerned about the latest proposed increase in tobacco tax through the SCHIP legislation and about the FDA regulation.

CC: Thanks, Arturo, I am really interested in hearing about the SCHIP tax issue, it seems like we may have won a few fights but I believe the battle still is on, what is the Cigar industry as yourself and others doing?

AF Jr.: The cigar Industry is still very involved on this critical issue. Most likely something will pass SCHIP legislation this year. Hopefully a modest increase will pass instead of the proposed dollar per cigar increase. If the later occurs, this will hurt the industry and especially all the mom and pop cigar manufacturers as well as some of the smaller retail stores.

CC: Where do we stand right now in this battle?

AF Jr.: A lot of efforts have been put forth in defeating the past two bills. But within the next few months or sometime this year it will come back again for approval. The cigar industry has been working hard on this critical issue. Individuals like Eric Newman, Robert Levine, Carlos Fuente Jr., Rocky Patel and several other key individuals, families, and manufacturers are trying to educate and reduce the amount of the proposed tax increase. Right now we are paying 5 cents per cigar. As long as the increase is reasonable and still accomplishes the important needs of the SCHIP program then that would be a win-win for both sides. As long as President Bush is in office I don't think they have much hope of passing the currently proposed increase of 33% of manufacturer's price with a $1 per cigar cap. Hopefully everything will work out and the increase will not impact the cigar connoisseur so that they can continue enjoy an affordable fine cigar.

CC: In my reading and research it gets kind of in depth and sort of confusing.

AF Jr.: As a consumer it gets confusing and some cigar connoisseurs believe that it is all over with. This is far from the truth. We must continue to express our concerns to our politicians and continue to inform our customers of the latest status as well as seeking their support. This legislation will continue until something gets approved.   As a great person once said; "It's not over until it's over!"

CC: Any website we can keep tabs on this subject and maybe help out with the awareness?

AF Jr.: There are a couple of places and I will get Darlene to send you some links, and whatever you can do to inform folks is a good thing to do!

CC: Awesome, well we thank you very much for your time and all the information, it is a pleasure talking to someone in the family of those that pioneered the cigar industry here in America. So anything you would like to ask us?

AF Jr.: Sure, you do lots of interviewing and what not, what is your favorite cigar?
It doesn't have to be an Arturo Fuente.

CC: Well to be honest it is in the Fuente family, I just love the Fuente Fuente OpusX XXX, the little one they call the Power Ranger, I think is what Carlito has nicknamed it. I enjoy the Short Story and the Between the Lines also. They are my favorites.

AF Jr.: I'll get Darlene to send you a couple of them to you and you can enjoy them.

CC: Thanks Arturo, and again thanks for the time and all the work you have done to make our industry more interesting. We will see you soon.

AF Jr.: Thanks Marc, and thanks for everything, you have a great weekend.

Visit Tampa Sweethearts online store by clicking here.

Note: Darlene sent us these links for everyone to stay in tune with what is happening as far as the federal cigar tax and the SCHIP bill that continues to haunt us.

National Association of Tobacco Outlets - http://www.natocentral.org
International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association - http://www.rtda.org
Cigar Association of America - http://www.cigarassociation.org

Interview exclusive rights of Cigar Companero Online Magazine . photos courtesy of Darlene at Tampa Sweethearts