MANDAN, ND (KFYR) – The state recently legalized cigar lounges and entrepreneurs like Josette Dupree are already making their mark on the industry.
Delayne Dvorak and the boys have found their new meeting place.
“It’s a great place to enjoy smoking a cigar and chatting with friends. It’s just a great place because you can sit there and not get laughed at for smoking,” said Delayne Dvorak, a customer at Big Stick Cigar Lounge.
But they have to make room for one of the owners of the Big Stick Cigar Lounge, Josette Dupree.
“When gentlemen come in and see me smoking a cigar, they’re amazed and they think, ‘Oh my God, you’re smoking a cigar.’ And I say, ‘Yeah. I own the lounge, too,’ and their heads spin a little,” Dupree said.
The serial entrepreneur is a pioneer in the male-dominated field.
“Over the last three legislative sessions, I have worked with some key legislators to develop a Century Code that specifically addresses lounges,” Dupree said.
The work paid off. Dupree’s new shop features a fully stocked humidor, lounge area and bar – thanks to approval from the Mandan City Commission.
But as a first of its kind, it had to obtain additional certifications, city permits, full compliance and additional air filters, according to Dupree. She also said only cigars are allowed in the lounge — cigarette smoking or vaping is not permitted.
If the cigar boxes on the walls and the liquor on the top shelf don’t catch your eye, the historic decor might.
“I think it was 1903 when Teddy Roosevelt spoke to the people of Mandan. And I thought, ‘If Teddy came into my store right now, what would he say? He’d look around and say, ‘Speak softly and take a big stick with you.’ Big Stick Cigars,” Dupree said.
Dupree plans to expand the facility to include a smoking lounge in the basement and another outdoor lounge on the roof.
The lounge partners with Cigars for Warriors, a charity that sends cigars to U.S. troops in active combat zones.
In September, anyone who purchases a cigar for charity or donates the shipping costs will receive a free pint of beer.
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