General Manager Staci Gibbs and owner Jeff Curry stand in the humidor of The Chateau Cigar Lounge at 9799 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.
Customers are welcome to note their thoughts about cigars’ flavor in a “cigar bible” at The Chateau Cigar Lounge.
Owner Jeff Curry holds a premium cigar in the humidor of The Chateau Cigar Lounge at 9799 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.
Staff Reporter
General Manager Staci Gibbs and owner Jeff Curry stand in the humidor of The Chateau Cigar Lounge at 9799 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.
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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The joy of a good cigar is about more than savoring the rich flavor of aged tobacco.
At The Chateau Cigar Lounge, it’s about camaraderie, connection and company.
“I first thought I was selling cigars, beer and wine, but we sell community,” owner Jeff Curry said. “You can come in here as a stranger, but you won’t leave as one.”
When Curry purchased The Chateau in 2018, the business was struggling, he said. The location at 9700 Medlock Bridge Road had little more than a dozen cigars, beer coolers, televisions and furniture. The meager cigar inventory and less-than welcoming environment had stolen customers’ trust, he said.
So, when Curry announced the change in ownership, few were impressed.
“We were getting snarky replies. ‘Oh, really, you actually have cigars?’” he recalled hearing.
There was plenty of work to be done, and Curry, who had spent the previous 15 years in software sales, first recruited Staci Gibbs, an employee of the former owner. Gibbs now serves as general manager.
Owner Jeff Curry holds a premium cigar in the humidor of The Chateau Cigar Lounge at 9799 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.
Together, they worked to make The Chateau a welcoming place where patrons could gather, relax and explore the world of fine tobacco.
Today, the business boasts close to a thousand cigars in its humidor. It’s also cultivated a cult customer base, who routinely visit to play poker, participate in raffles, watch sports and socialize.
“I have a customer who came here 340 times last year,” Curry said.
Tucked into the first floor of a small row of shops, The Chateau offers a refuge from the congested traffic of nearby Medlock Bridge and State Bridge roads.
A sweet smell of smoke lingers in the spacious interior, which features stained-wood flooring and high ceilings.
The space is perfect for hanging out, Curry said. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the room with natural light. A fully stocked bar serves beer, wine, top-shelf liquors and craft cocktails. Some days, food trucks populate the ample parking lot. Plush leather armchairs invite visitors to unwind alone or in groups. A state-of-the-art ventilation system facilitates indoor smoking, but many opt for the patio when the weather is nice.
“It’s a beautiful thing to watch when … new faces come in here,” Gibbs said. “Maybe five minutes will pass before somebody walks up and strikes up a conversation. Then, they move their seats together.”
One popular informal event, a weekly “cigar bible study,” allows connoisseurs to analyze and evaluate flavors. Customers are welcome to enter their thoughts about a smoking experience into a handsomely bound leather tome and mark the flavors, whether they be of coffee, fruit, spice, nuts, earth or vanilla.
Customers are welcome to note their thoughts about cigars’ flavor in a “cigar bible” at The Chateau Cigar Lounge.
“What our people do is they sit around, and they smoke cigars, and they go, ‘OK, here’s the name of the cigar I had. This is what it’s like,’” Curry said.
There are plenty of opportunities to explore all manner of cigars from tried-and-true favorites to limited editions in The Chateau’s humidor.
The narrow, wood-paneled room is climate controlled and dehumidified to extend the tobacco’s shelf life almost indefinitely.
Curry said the inventory caters to new and experienced customers.
For those who are just getting into tobacco, he recommends the Perdomo brand, which are like the “Johnson & Johnson” of cigars, he said.
“Whether you’re an experienced cigar smoker or novice, no one’s going to smoke that cigar and say they don’t like it,” he said.
Figuring out personal tastes is a big part of the fun for beginners, he said.
“It’s just seeking out where are you in your journey. Where are you in your experience?” he said. “And then, let us give you variations within that same flavor profile.”
For those who know what they like, The Chateau offers some exciting options from premium cigars that can range into the hundreds of dollars to rarer batches.
Curry maintains personal relationships with suppliers to ensure he gets the latest and greatest.
The shop boasts cigars from all over the world, including brands such as La Flor Dominicana, Sin Compromiso, Oliva, Mi Querida, Plasencia and many more.
On one shelf, Gibbs keeps a special stash, which she sometimes allows patrons to smoke from if they’re lucky.
“Some of the best cigars on the planet are sitting right down there in those boxes,” Curry said.
For Curry, now retired from sales, owning The Chateau has been a dream. He frequents the shop almost seven days a week, chatting up regulars and meeting new faces.
Curry admits he may not make as much money as he used to, but there’s something special about running a business that provides real satisfaction to customers.
“We took something that was dead, and we managed to regrow the business,” he said.
Curry said he certainly enjoys indulging in a good cigar, but the real joy is being a part of the community the shop has fostered.
“I quit my day job at the end of 2020,” he said. “I haven’t set an alarm clock in years, and it’s been like, we got real a business here.”
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The Chateau Cigar Lounge is located at 9700 Medlock Bridge Road No. 114 in Johns Creek. For more information, visit thechateaucigarbar.com or call 678-822-0912
Staff Reporter
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