How Cigar Shops Are Responding To The Coronavirus Pandemic
Many cigar stores remain open despite this time of national crisis
With businesses shutting down across the United States, and reports of Coronavirus multiplying with every news cycle, many cigar stores remain open despite this time of national crisis. Most have closed their lounge areas and reduced staff, but still allow customers to buy cigars. Others have had to close their shops completely. And for a lucky few, it’s still business as usual.
The Cigar Aficionado editorial team interviewed retailers around the country to see what they’re doing to keep their doors open, how they’re supplying cigars to their customers and how they’re managing to stay compliant with city and state regulations as they constantly change.
Friday in New York, which currently has more reported cases of Coronavirus than any state in the U.S., Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered 100 percent of the state’s nonessential workforce to stay home. Effective Sunday 8 p.m., this mandate will close down shops like Matador Cigars on suburban Long Island and Barclay-Rex in New York City.
“We have been through disasters like [Super Storm] Sandy and 9/11, but those events felt different,” said Vanessa Nastri, whose father owns Barclay-Rex in lower Manhattan. “They had more of a timeline of when normalcy would return to New York City. This is scary because so much is unknown.”
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