Chris Morrill is a passionate entrepreneur and one of the owners of Leaf Brothers Cigars, a prominent cigar lounge located in Waukee and Ankeny, Iowa, offering a sophisticated and comfortable environment for cigar enthusiasts. Chris has dedicated himself to curating a selection of premium cigars that reflect his love for the art. Under his leadership, Leaf Brothers Cigars has gained a loyal following, offering a diverse range of flavors and experiences that cater to both seasoned aficionados and newcomers alike.
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Iowa Series
La Fumarosa
Blanca Czebouz
Each location features plush leather seating and provides over 800 cigar varieties. The lounges are equipped with bars serving premium beverages, complementing the rich flavors of the cigars. Additionally, they offer exclusive membership options that include locker storage for personal cigars. This setup makes Leaf Brothers Cigars an ideal destination for those who appreciate fine cigars and a welcoming atmosphere, suitable for both social gatherings and individual.
What inspired you to open a cigar lounge?
I’ve been smoking cigars for over 20 years, and I have wanted to open a lounge since I was in college going to lounges in Denver.
Can you share your journey into the cigar industry?
I started trying to open a lounge back in 2003 when I lived in Colorado. That one didn’t come together, and I tried again in 2008 when I was back in Iowa and that one fell through at the last minute. I ended up working for Pars and Cigars for a handful of years and then David’s Fine Tobacco for a handful of years before we finally got our own shop off the ground in 2018.
What sets your lounge apart from others in the area?
I think cleaner air is probably the biggest differentiator. We’ve put a lot of time, effort and money into cycling air in both of the lounges so that you’re not sitting there bathed in the cloud of smoke the whole time. I also think that our seating is more comfortable, and the vibe of the shop is just more laid back and lounge-like.
What are the biggest challenges you face in running a cigar lounge?
Iowa is a hard place to have a cigar lounge because all the laws are stacked against it. It’s difficult to get a liquor license. You can’t do bring your own bottle. You can’t get a food service license, and the tobacco taxes put a big dent in your cash flow. Additionally rent rates and property tax rates in Iowa are high so for a very low margin industry like cigars it is difficult to eat that much overhead.
How do you select the cigars you offer?
For better or worse most of what we sell in the humidor is the stuff that I think is good. They aren’t all my favorites, but we try to set the best examples from each brand or type. We carry flavored stuff and infused stuff because it’s popular and the rest is all hand selected as we smoke through what is available from each brand.
Can you describe your target customer demographic?
Well, our main demographic is men from 35 to 65 that are upper middle income. We have younger men and older men, richer men and poorer men but that’s kind of the center of the bell curve. We always welcome women to come in and smoke. There just isn’t a big female cigar population in Iowa like there would be in Florida so females who are there to smoke are rare.
What kind of events or promotions do you host to attract customers?
We tried to run a manufacturer sponsored event once a month where we bring in one of the cigar Brands to Showcase their lineup and do giveaways and prizes and such.
How do you manage inventory, and what factors influence your purchasing decisions?
We currently run a just-in-time inventory and don’t keep a lot of back stock anymore. We used to have significant carry costs for having a couple of hundred boxes in back stock and we have thinned that out so that we don’t have stuff sitting around for months or years eating up cash flow. We also try to order big at the show and other times during the year when the brands offer big discounts or specials so that we can maximize our buying power.
What do you believe is the most important aspect of the customer experience in a cigar lounge?
I think help in the humidor by somebody who knows what they’re doing is the most important part. There are a lot of cigars on the market and having somebody who has the knowledge to dial in what you are looking for and what will fit your palate is the major difference between going to a proper, competent cigar lounge and going to a tobacco and vape shop.
How do you engage with your customers and build a community around your lounge?
We have our events once a month and we have Facebook and Instagram but that is pretty much the extent of our community as it exists outside the shop. Obviously, our main engagement is sitting and talking with people who are regulars in the shop.
What trends are you currently seeing in the cigar industry?
Currently there’s a lot of sweetened and flavored stuff coming out because the rules from the FDA were more clearly defined so it gave them the opportunity to bring in a lot of new stuff. We are also seeing a continued increase in prices as inflation and tariffs take their toll. There are a lot of inquiries about good cigars under $10 which is a very hard thing to find anymore.
How has the cigar market changed since you opened your lounge?
The number of cigars on the market has definitely increased over the course of the last 7 years. We have lost a lot of casual smokers as economic pressure has priced them out of the hobby.
Can you discuss any regulations or challenges the cigar industry faces?
The tariffs are the big thing right now. Depending on how this shakes out it looks like Nicaragua will end up between 10-18% which will have a price impact at the register of about $2.25 on the average. Since prices have continued to climb that will mean that the average cigar was $10 when we opened in 2018, and it will be around $17 after the tariff hits. A 70% increase in 6 years is a bitter pill to swallow.
What are some of your personal favorite cigars, and why?
My go-tos tend to change every month or so but I usually have Foundation cigars (Olmecs, Tabernacles or Aksum) in the mix, Liga Privada, Dunbarton (Meat Lovers, Brulee, Sobremesa), Plasencia (Alma Fuerte, Fuego) and Crux (Bull & Bear, Epicure). These companies are all making top notch cigars and getting really good, deep, flavorful wrappers.
Do you have a specific ritual or routine you follow when enjoying a cigar?
Ha, I don’t, I know a lot of guys only use matches or only V-cut or whatever their deal is. I have been smoking for so long and have smoked so many cigars (probably over 20,000 at this point) that I don’t really get too hung up about it. I will slice the cap off with a pocketknife or punch it with a ballpoint pen if I don’t have a proper cutter with me. I have lit them on an electric stove, with a bic and with a branch from a campfire. The smoking experience is more about how good the tobacco is and how well it was rolled and less about how it is cut and lit.
What advice would you give to someone new to cigar smoking?
Don’t get pigeonholed up front on flavored cigars or mild cigars. Get 4-5 good cigars across the spectrum and find out what you like. One flavored, one mild, one medium on the leather and wood scale, one Medium on the earth and cocoa scale, one heavy, and see what you like.
We have several guys who do this and find out they are in the medium leather or medium cocoa part of the spectrum. If they hadn’t tried them all they probably would have smoked flavored or mild for years before they found out that wasn’t their preference.
What are your goals for the lounge in the next 5 to 10 years?
I would like to move both locations into stand-alone buildings that we own. Having neighbors or a landlord puts you at risk and I would like to eliminate that risk.
Are there any plans for expansion or new offerings in the future?
Other than the new buildings we may consider opening one more location in a suburb of the area that has the population and volume and is currently underserved.
What legacy do you hope to leave with your cigar lounge?
I would mostly just like to see it outlive me. I hope 100 years from now the Leaf brothers’ brand still exists.
If you could host any celebrity or historical figure in your lounge, who would it be and why?
At the moment, Trump, this country is in a precarious place, and I would like to sit down and talk to him about his plans and goals and maybe be able to offer some perspective from the peasant class that may influence the direction his administration is going to take the economy.
