The Smokemaster Blog: Shop Spotlight: Smoker's Paradise of Clearwater

Smoker's Paradise of Clearwater

Interview with Steve McClelland

-The Smoker's Paradise of Clearwater takes a unique spin on it's logo and store sign

What is the origin of your shop?

"Well the origin goes back to 1976. The original owner and founder, his name is Alfio Nucifora and he came over here from Sicily originally lived in the Northeast as a master tailor, his trade. But him and his family decided that they did not like the winters up there, the snow, so he came down here. At the time, and even now, nobody was paying high dollar amounts for a seamstress or tailor work. He had experience with the really high end stuff and just could not make the same money. But he remembered in a big department store (that he had originally worked in) that one of the levels had a real nice tobacco store with pipe tobacco and cigars and he thought that was great, he was a cigarette smoker but he smoked everything too. So, he just decided to start that up here. In 1976 there was a mall across the street and that is where it (the shop) was originally. The mall shut down, that was around 93' when that happened and that is when he moved to here. We still see him from time to time, he is retired now and goes back and forth to Sicily but he still comes in every once in a while."

-This is the original sign made in 1976, this year is the shop's 40th anniversary.

What is the best part of owning the shop?

"The customers. People are in a good mood when they come in, I mean I have worked in places where they have to spend money at what you are doing so it becomes a chore, and you know they are irritated. But with this situation, people are in a good mood, they'll talk to you about their day, what is going on with them, so you know they kind of become more than just a wallet that walks in. You get to know people, you get to, the next time they are in, ask about them and what has been going on.

Its nice, you develop somewhat of a friendship.

Before this I was working for the Tax Collector, which is basically the DMV, for like seven years, so people where in a bad mood to spend money and it is expensive and they have to do it. So ya, this, totally different. I have been doing this for three years now and I haven't really had like a bad experience with anyone that has really walked in here. Like even when someone has a complaint its no, to me, just like a complaint is, 'You know I really didn't like this, so can you recommend something else?' That's a bit as far as someone who is not satisfied. Something did not quite meet there expectations or their palate.

So ya, that is whats nice, the customers are always in a good mood."

-Steve McClelland and his father, Sam, enjoying a smoke after a long relaxing day at work.

Why did you want to get into the cigar market?

"I've been smoking cigars for probably seventeen years and its just, its always something fun to do. If I'm smoking cigars its because I'm having some good company, talking to people, with friends, or if its a holiday something.

So I always associate smoking cigars with something enjoyable and doing that as a business everyday, that just makes sense, to you know enjoy coming to work.

After having jobs where its just like wishing your life away and just looking at the clock wanting for it to hurry up, its nice to have one where its like you just let time go and relax and smoke a cigar and just its like your not at work."

Do you organize your humidor in a specific way?

"Well, only in the respect that I try to keep the same manufactures, like there different pressing, all together. So if someone likes an Arturo Fuente I can say, 'All the Arturo Fuentes are right there.' Like Alec Bradley, Rocky Patel, I try and keep them all next to each other, but other than that I don't organize them as like some people I've seen will organize them alphabetical or all their Maduros in one spot, or all their Connecticut, or Habano, or Cameroon where their all in one spot. I just try and keep the manufacture together. I've found if people are loyal to something its usually to a brand, so that way they can come in an ask, 'Hey, do you have any Romeo y Julieta's?' 'Yeah, they are all right there.' But I can always recommend something else, just tell me what you like

-This humidor holds a great, diverse selection and most likely includes some cigars you have never tried.

What do you want your customers to get out of the shop?

"Well I hope that whatever they buy here it gets a certain memory attached to it. I mean that is what I always associate cigars with. Like fun times hanging out with friends or family, maybe an event. A lot of people will associate cigars with weddings or congratulatory parties or something like anniversary or something, you when something, you have a baby. So if they could just continue to that with their cigar. Or pipe tobacco even, as long as they are associating it with a positive memory. Because smell, the sense of smell, is one of those things that triggers memory more than any other sense so when you smell a cigar it links back to something, or you smell a pipe's tobacco and it reminds you of somebody or something that happened..."

-Now enters a repeat customer, Steve and Sam greet her as if she is a close friend-

"...So a good example example was I had one guy come in here, and he has only come in here once, I've never scene him again, but I remember him because he wanted to buy. He said he was not a regular cigar smoker but he wanted to find something really good and did not care what it cost. He wanted me to recommend 'the best thing you've got' because he had just paid off the last of his debt. I guess it was a lot, but he was like, 'No more mortgage, no more credit card,no care payment, no nothing" So he could go home and he said he had a nice bottle of whiskey and have a cigar.

I thought that was cool.

I've never seen him again since but I was like, 'Man, that guy was just happy and wanting a cigar." So I like that, people that associate something happy. Its different from cigarettes, where you need to smoke because of that addiction, but this is more. Its more of just something that you can have fun and enjoy yourself."

-Even though it is near closing time, the front door is still open.

What are your best selling cigars?

"Its odd, the all really have their moments. Um, Those New Worlds, we sell a lot of those. That New World by AJ Fernandez, that is a great cigar. I mean I have tons of empty boxes, those sell, those are great cigars.

Its weird because each on of them, I have in there for a different reason and they each have their stages of the year. Like right now, those Perdomo Champagne's I have got in there, I have guys that will buy them by the box now. I can think of three different guys that have bought a box of those in the last two months, and there are people that will just grab a handful of them, they are really good.

But, they are all about the same.

Lets see, there are a couple of Rocky Patel's in there that sell fast, but ya it is hard to say which ones are the best though because like every month there could be a different one in there that I sell the most. It varies.

That is one of things that is interesting about tobacco. That there are some many variations and types of cigars and everybody has a unique taste for what the want.

So, it changes all the time."

-An exuberant "at home" feeling and aromas of cigar and pipe tobacco greet you
as you walk into the front door

Besides cigars, what else do you offer your customers?

-These are the many house blends that
Smoker's Paradise has produced over its prestigious
40 years in business.

"All the pipe tobacco blends are something that we come up with here in the store and we have a lot of pipe tobacco customers, people that have either been doing it for years or are looking to get into it and they come in here for advice, to talk about it and to engage. To see if it is something they are going to want to pick up as a hobby of interest."

-Just a small amount of cigar cutters and lighters the shop has in stock

"All the accessories: lighters, cutters, pipe tools, humidors, and ashtrays. All the things that you might need to go along with it."

-The many unique ashtrays and beautiful humidors
currently in stock

-A fantastic inventory of pipes hand selected
by Sam McClelland

"The goal eventually is to transition into more of a lounge. Instead of four chairs have forty, that would be great. Also possibly a beer and wine license. That is why I started our Go Fund Me* to hopefully raise some money and maybe move into one of these bigger units or just totally renovate this space to make it bigger."

*If you would like to help out the shop click here or go to the bottom of the post to get the shop's

Go Fund Me link*

Why should cigar smokers come to your shop and what should they expect when entering?

"They should come if they are looking to just enjoy themselves and that is what they should expect. Come to relax or celebrate something, you know it is just about enjoyment. I am always here and willing to help someone pick something out or if they are looking for a gift. We have been smoking cigars and pipes here for years so if they are looking for something new or just some good conversation about what we are smoking.

Whatever you do though, just enjoy yourself."