Raíces Cubanas is the dream come true of Don Romay Endemaño, whose family moved from Miami, Florida, in 2003 to establish themselves in Honduras and found the cigar factory now run by his son. Production began in Danlí, harvesting tobacco from Trojes, and since 2016, they have also done so in Jamastrán.
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Having spent a lifetime related to the industry, Don Romay had always wanted to own a tobacco factory. “To this day, he still comes by occasionally to enjoy a dream come true,” says his son and current head of Raíces Cubanas, Hugo Endemaño, during an interview with the Humo Latino team.
Upon arriving at the building, one can see the two wings of what was an abandoned rice mill, rescued by Romay, María, and Hugo Endemaño. The production area has rolling tables for 65 couples of torcedores (rollers); furthermore, they have a clinic to provide medical attention to the staff of between 300 and 500 field and factory employees.
They have a pilón (fermentation stack) warehouse, a cold room, a drying and sorting area, quality control, a paca (bale) warehouse with a capacity of 700 quintales (approx. 77,000 lbs) –where 40,000 pounds of tobacco are always kept– and there are plans to build another warehouse to store 500 more quintales, among other spaces or departments.
The raw material, which comes from their fields, is of the highest quality, precisely what is required by private label clients of the stature of Alec Bradley Cigars, as well as for the production of the house brands: 1941 Nuevo Comienzo, Clásico, Liga de Reyes, C5 Black, and GRD3.
Since the factory could not expand sideways, Hugo explains, it expanded upwards. After passing through other parts of the country, the family settled in these facilities in 2009, which they have gradually renovated, starting during the COVID-19 pandemic. They began by replacing the roofing, building a humidor for special products, and making other changes according to the business needs. “We still have a lot to do, but we are moving forward.”
Based on effort and dedication, Hugo and his family have achieved great satisfaction with Raíces Cubanas. Among them, being the only factory in the world to have secured all three top spots in Cigar Aficionado magazine’s annual ranking, as well as having produced the first Honduran puro to achieve that distinction.
Inside the fermentation pilón warehouse, where order prevails in an aesthetic way that creates a pleasant effect –reminiscent of a honeycomb structure– stand, floor after floor, what Hugo calls “tobacco lockers,” where each leaf tells its story through a card that identifies the source farm and the number and date of the cut. Furthermore, “we try to sort the tobacco as quickly as possible to separate the wrapper, binder, and filler.”
The company staff graphically records the gradual temperature increase from the center of the pilón, from the time the leaves arrive until they leave, also identifying the exact moment the moja (rehydration) is performed, a process that encourages fermentation.
PORTFOLIO
Since 2025, Raíces Cubanas has been working intensely to position the portfolio of its own brands, which encompass four lines and 18 different cigars: Clásico, featuring the best Honduran tobaccos in Toro, Robusto, Figurado, Churchill, and Gordo formats; Liga de Reyes, with a touch of Nicaraguan tobacco, in Belicoso, Toro, Churchill, and Gordo formats.
Raíces Cubanas C5 Black, wrapped with fifth primings (fifth cut leaves), a reference to the leaf position from which they are obtained for superior strength, in Robusto, Belicoso, Toro, Gordo, and Doble Toro sizes, and Raíces Cubanas GRD3, in 4 x 60, 6 x 60, and 7 x 70 formats.
Hugo anticipates more launches as part of a very well-thought-out long-term strategy with clearly defined steps. He seeks to guarantee their positioning in the premium cigar market, to which they have dedicated much effort, starting from the pre-industry phase, “using the best seeds, processes, and technologies. We are happy with the blends and the results of our efforts, but above all with the response from customers.”
