Today we’d like to introduce you to Leroy Lamar.
Hi Leroy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
ATL Cigar Co. was born out of deep friendship, a profound love of cigars, the environment that cigar smoking creates. The relationship between me, Janelle, and Peter began about 16 years ago when we all lived in the same neighborhood, Capitol View in Southwest Atlanta. We started with evening meals. Over time, these meals increasingly ended with cigars, whiskey, and theological and philosophical conversations. I cannot recall the exact evening, but instead of our usual conversation, we began dreaming of sharing these experiences with others. We were enamored by the idea of a black-owned, premium cigar company that cared as much about creating community as it did crafting exquisite cigars.
Janelle, my wife and director of marketing for the company, had recently heard of a business incubator and wanted to test our idea. The results after 14 weeks were impressive. So we began planning our company. We took the next few years meeting people in the industry, visiting shops and cigar manufacturers, and cultivating our palates.
At the beginning of 2020, we decided to launch ATL Cigar Co. Like many businesses born during the pandemic, we had an uphill journey, but our team made magic happen. Today, we have three cigar lines – the ATL Black, the ATL Good Trouble, the ATL Libertad. We are in nearly 50 cigar shops and lounges throughout the Metro-Atlanta area. We host monthly events and have a thriving online shop.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have had challenges and obstacles. First, Georgia is very particular when it comes to starting tobacco-related businesses. It took us time to navigate all the regulations involved in starting up. This process alone backed us up for several months.
Second, COVID was a mess. Like other businesses, we faced delays in manufacturing and distribution. We couldn’t travel abroad to visit our manufacturers. Producers had a difficult time getting leaf and keeping enough staff to fulfill orders. Some manufacturers are still not back to total capacity. We are very fortunate, however, to have seen great success during these very challenging times.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
ATL Cigar Co. offers premium cigars throughout the Atlanta Metropolitan area. We host events that allow our guests to engage in quality conversation.
There are three co-founders: Leroy Lamar is the President. Leroy’s vision for ATL Cigar Co blends cigars, community, and charity in a way that both honors and elevates traditional Southern Hospitality. An ATL cigar is an invitation to kinship, to presence, to a space where everything and everyone belongs. Leroy fervidly loves his native city and all of its disparate tribes. As a social entrepreneur, he navigates the spaces between Atlanta’s gems and her ghosts, always looking to reconcile them. While Leroy and Janelle are the parents of twin boys, Leroy is also a godfather and mentor to many. In his free time, he reads philosophy, watches Disney classics, and mellows out to bebop.
Janelle Lamar is the Director of Marketing. Janelle’s love of a good cigar comes from an appreciation of things handmade, a desire for tranquility, and a search for authentic connections. A Filipina-Australian-American, Janelle has called Atlanta home for more than 20 years. In addition to her creative energy behind ATL Cigar Co, she creates many other things, both functional and beautiful—gifts, gardens, meals, and moments. As a businesswoman, wife to Leroy, ambassador for people at the margin, and a Mom to rambunctious twin boys, Janelle’s life is full–and busy. The dynamic pace of her life makes an end-of-day cigar a cherished wind-down ritual.
Peter Gross is Head of Product. Peter is a long-time aficionado whose journey with cigars began on a trip to Havana 20 years ago, enjoying a Romeo y Julieta Churchill on the veranda of the Hotel Nacional. While his roots in Atlanta going back a century, Peter and his family have lived in the UK, Ghana, and Kenya and he has smoked cigars in more than 50 countries. He’s a father, husband, musician, and innovator who throws himself with passion into all his pursuits. With a keen taste for blends and a love of Nicaraguan leaf, Peter keeps us rooted in the premium blend quality for which we have become known.
Three things set us apart from other cigar companies. First, we have a fierce devotion to our city. We didn’t name our company ATL Cigar Co. lightly. We adore our city and want to create products that represent Her well. We have become students of Atlanta. We try to learn everything we can about Her to craft cigar lines that tell Her story and aid in the healing of its citizens.
Second, our team’s commitment to each other as friends surpasses our commitment to our business. We decided that if our friendship was in jeopardy because of this business, we would shut it down immediately. Our pledge to each other allows us to bend and flex when difficult decisions must be made. It helps us trust each others’ unique abilities and gladly bolster our weaknesses.
Finally, we believe in the ideal community. Cigars are one-half of our mission. Connecting people is the other half. Our tagline is folium fratribus et sororibus which is Latin for brothers and sisters of the leaf. We don’t seek clients or patrons. We seek family and friends.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We count ourselves lucky to know one another as friends and partners. We are also lucky to launch our company in one of the largest cigar cities in the United States. There are currently over 140 cigar shops and lounges in the Metro-Atlanta area, with new ones opening every weekend.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@atlcigar.co
- Website: www.atlcigar.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlcigarco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlcigarco
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/atlcigarco
