Today we’d like to introduce you to Harvey Burkin.
Harvey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been a fine cigar lover for 30+ years. I never really imagined opening a shop until my job became more and more stressful. I had been in the automobile business since 1979, mainly in the finance department. I made good money, had fantastic vacations, but I was miserable. Working an average of 60+ hours per week, doing work I no longer enjoyed, I decided to make a change.
My love of fine cigars made me look in that direction. I started searching for locations, and Downtown Woodstock was an area that was exploding. In fact, last year, it made the top 50 list of best cities in the U.S. When I signed my lease in 2010, I was scared to death! It wasn’t long after the crash of 2008, and there wasn’t much happening in that area.
However, I saw potential, and it panned out!
We’ve been open 7 years now, and each year was better than the previous one. You may be wondering why I named it Maxwell’s, when my name is Harvey… Maxwell, my dog, was my best friend. No matter what time I came home from the automobile business (and sometimes it was midnight or later), he would greet me at the door, and follow me, while I changed clothes, picked out a cigar and a glass of wine or scotch, and made it out to my deck to listen to some blues or jazz.
When finished, we would both go to bed. Maxwell only lived to be 7 yrs. old, and it broke my heart when I lost him. So I figured I would name the shop after him, and his name would live on.
We sell fine cigars from all over the world along with beer and wine. We also have live entertainment on weekends. When you turn a hobby into a career, it comes with a level of stress. But, I’m doing something I love, making much less money than I used to, and finding myself much happier!
Has it been a smooth road?
Starting a business is never a smooth road. Dealing with contractors, required permits, licenses, health departments, etc., isn’t easy. However, when you have a strong vision of what you want, those obstacles just become part of doing business.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Maxwell’s Cigar Bar story. Tell us more about the business.
The thing that sets Maxwell’s Cigar Bar apart from my competition, is as follows. Most cigar stores in Georgia do not, or cannot (based on local ordinances), sell alcohol. Also, my store is in a multi-use facility with many fine restaurants within several hundred yards. So I get late night traffic that most others do not.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see it growing, as long as the FDA doesn’t get total control. They want to treat it like the cigarette business, where they are trying to keep it away from minors. It’s a totally different situation. You don’t see 16 year old kids smoking a fine, hand rolled cigar.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maxwellscigarbar.com
- Phone: 770-627-2006
- Email: info@maxwellscigarbar.com
- Facebook: maxwell’s cigar bar
- Twitter: @maxwells cigar
- Yelp: maxwell’s cigar bar
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