If you ever saw Robert Owen on the front porch at the corner of 8th and Madison, you probably assumed it was already a cigar shop. Many customers did.
That’s why Owen decided to make the switch. In July, DFW Mantiques officially rebranded to Mantiques Cigars, expanding hours to everyday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“I just had customers coming up and people walking by, asking if I sold cigars,” he said, “so I felt like it was an opportunity to go ahead and do it.”
Keeping antiques around the walls, he added an indoor humidor and air purifier to create a smoking lounge in the building.
Reactions have been very positive to the new cigar addition, he said.
“People love to come in and relax and smoke a cigar, look around while they’re smoking or drinking a complimentary beer or something. And actually my sales of antiques have gone up,” he said.
The middle lounge area is complete with a leather chair, along with donated church pews, dividing the lounge from the antiques to allow for browsing without interrupting the lounge space.
Photo courtesy of Robert Owen.
“Husbands and wives have really enjoyed the lounge and to sit and smoke,” he said. “A lot of times, they’ll be sitting and they’ll look around and see something that they like and buy an antique or something too.”
Owen said he had not seen something like this before, a lounge and antique shop together.
“As far as being intertwined completely, I think it’s pretty unusual and I had never heard about it,” he said. “It’s just two things I love. I love antiques and cigars and so it seemed like a good marriage to me.”
Future plans for Mantiques Cigars is to continue to build up the cigar line up, hopefully expanding from the current 150 boxes to 250-300 boxes along with adding another air purifier to the space. And of course, continuing to build up the antiques along the walls.
Mantiques Cigars is located at 301 W Eighth St.
