Inspiring Conversations with Davis Lacey of The Ellijay Cigar Lounge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Davis Lacey.

Hi Davis, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In high school, if someone told me that I’d one day be living in my hometown, leading a church, and operating a premium cigar lounge – I would have laughed in disbelief.

I graduated from Gilmer County High School in Ellijay. During my time in school, my chief goal in life was to move as far away from Ellijay as I possibly could, never to return (save the occasional trip home during the holidays).

I started smoking premium cigars regularly as soon as I turned 18. My first experiences were with older, wiser family members who purchased cigars for me and smoked with me as a rite-of-passage of sorts. I instantly fell in love with the artisanship of handmade cigars. I also gravitated towards the ways premium cigars facilitated connection, conversation, and community.

Craftsmanship and camaraderie: these two themes drove me to embrace premium cigars as a lifelong hobby. Throughout my college years at Mercer University, I shared cigars both with friends and with mentors from the local church I was attending; these conversations (and the cigars that facilitated them) helped me develop a desire to one day start a new local church. In 2018, after years of training and experience, that desire came to fruition as my wife (Charis), our two kids, and I moved back to our hometown of Ellijay, GA to plant Autumn Ridge Community Church.

Man makes a plan…and God laughs!

Although there are plenty of church buildings in Gilmer County, many estimates project that only 17% of our County’s population is regularly involved in a local church. In planting a new church, the goal was not to “re-shuffle the deck” of the 17% of the population involved in a church; it was rather to make inroads into the 83% that wasn’t. To do so, I would need to patiently hear their stories, and to be able to challenge them without coming across as hostile or judgmental.

Cigars proved to be the perfect outlet to share conversations just like that.

In many ways, our church grew based on me sharing those sorts of conversations – many of which took place while also sharing cigars. Paradoxically, as our church grew, I found myself more involved with the needs of church leadership, and subsequently less available to be amongst the unchurched people of our community.

The idea for Ellijay Cigar Lounge came about at the intersection of multiple themes in my family’s life:

1. My wife and I both grew up in Ellijay. We both have a desire to positively shape the community which helped shape us.

2. We were looking to steward our family’s finances well, and to diversify our investments.

3. We’re both natural entrepreneurs who thrive starting new things.

4. We both (me especially) have a love for premium tobacco, and want to share that love with other people.

5. Knowing how fruitful cigar smoking had proved to be in our early ministry in Ellijay, we dreamed of creating a “third place” (i.e. not work or home) where folks from across our community could gather, share conversations, build a community, and – ultimately – to be challenged to grow.

The Ellijay Cigar Lounge opened in 2022, and has steadily grown over the course of 3+ years. That’s a product of a lot of hard work (and a lot of hard lessons learned) on our part…but it is also due to the great work of our staff and the ongoing support of our customers – many of whom have become family members of sorts.

Our mission is not to sell cigars; it’s to “create community” (through sales, spaces, and special events). What a joy it has been to see that happen before our eyes over the course of our time in business!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Personally, I’ve struggled to be understood by some folks in our community. Not everyone resonates with the idea of a pastor who smokes premium cigars – much less a pastor who openly uses premium cigars for personal ministry! This struggle has promoted my own personal growth; I have had to examine what I truly believe. I’ve developed more clarity that tobacco itself is morally neutral, and that while it can be misused, it can also be redeemed for the good purposes of building community, sharing intentional conversations, and simply enjoying the good gifts that God created. Consequently, I have become more confident in sharing these views with others.

Professionally, The State of Georgia enforces a 23% excise tax on the wholesale value of premium cigars. That draconian tax rate makes it very difficult for us in so many ways.

Like any business, we have the run-of-the-mill obstacles of inconsistent seasonal cash flows, economic trends such as inflation, tariffs, supply chain scarcity from some of our suppliers, and physical plant problems such as leaky faucets and faulty HVAC devices.

Through all of these inconsistencies, we strive to be consistent in building a long-term community through service, care and consideration. This consistent commitment has allowed us to survive the difficulties.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Ellijay Cigar Lounge?
The Ellijay Cigar Lounge is North Georgia’s leading destination for premium cigars, tobacco pipes, accessories, and USDA Organic coffee that’s French-pressed to order.

Our mission is to create community through sales, spaces, and special events. These tenets of our mission statement truly distinguish us within the industry.

SALES: we offer 200+ facings of premium cigars, as well as 25+ varieties of pipe tobacco. Coupled with our branded merchandise and accessories, we offer something for every palate at every budget. Our staff is knowledgeable and takes initiative not only to close deals, but also to take our customers’ desires into consideration.

SPACES: our Lounge is unparalleled in North Georgia and is raved about by those who visit. We’re located on the second story of a building which overlooks Ellijay’s town square. We feature a large, open-air porch which is accented by sky lights, heaters, and fire pit tables. We also offer a climate-controlled, well-ventilated indoor Lounge for patrons.

SPECIAL EVENTS: from hosting members of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network each offseason, to community cook-offs and potlucks, to live music, to manufacturer-specific sales events, our special events draw a big crowd of regulars and newcomers alike!

We do not serve alcohol, but we do offer a locker membership program that allows for patrons to store and pour their own beverages in a temperature and humidity controlled locker. In addition to storing and pouring privileges and on-site storage, locker members receive a 10% discount on all purchases, invitations to members-only events, and more.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Edwin Friedman’s book “A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of Quick Fix” includes a chapter called “Survival in a Hostile Environment.” There, he writes,

“One can only be consistent when one if focused on oneself, not on the random perturbations of the un-regulating other. The former is what leadership is about; the latter allows followers to set agendas.”

To focus on oneself in the sense Friedman describes is not to focus on one’s desires or perceived entitlements, but rather, is to focus on one’s sense of calling, roles, strengths, and gift-mixes. It is to have a clear vision for where one wants to go, and how one wants to get there, and to compassionately resist other people derailing that direction.

I have learned the importance of defining myself by what the Lord says is true of me, rather than by the whims and opinions of others. I have also learned the importance of saying no to good opportunities in order to eliminate distractions (for both me personally and for the organizations that I lead). Furthermore, I have learned to embrace my God-given limits by regularly taking a full 24 hours to be free of work obligations during each week. This “focus on oneself” has allowed me to more fruitfully serve others over a long period of time, rather than to quickly “burn out.”

Pricing:

• Lockers cost $600 for the year, $57/mo, or – for a 72-hour “Weekend Membership,” $25.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ellijaycigars.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellijaycigars/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellijaycigars/
• Online Store: https://www.ellijaycigars.com/shop