Habana Port on Google Maps

Saludos,

Greetings, friends of Habana Port. We are on Google Maps and to further illustrate that point, we have a QR code for you to scan with your cell phone so you can get instant shop information on your mobile phone. Try it out and let us know what pops up!

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

A Shout-Out from Cigar Reader

Saludos,

Greetings, friends of Habana Port. We were browsing through the web and found this article written by CigarReader.com about our posts regarding our buildout. We wanted to thank them and we wanted to return the favor by posting their link here. You can follow them on Twitter, too. Check them out and read the article about us here! They post great stories and information regarding cigar news and they have some steamy pics of girls and their 'gars. That'll make you drop your stogie!

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

The Billboard is Up and Running

Saludos,

Greetings friends of Habana Port! We drove to the shop today to start laying out the fixtures, when lo and behold, we see that our billboard is up early. Located in the heart of Mandeville on Highway 190 (once you get off the Causeway Bridge), the billboard has all the essentials to get the smoking market aware of our presence. It'll be up for 6 months. In the meanwhile, check out our site and blog for continuing updates and news.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

Shop Buildout, Part VI

The walk-in humidor with humidifier and surveillance cameras installed.

Saludos,

Greetings friends of Habana Port. Today's installment of our Shop Buildout series takes us into the details of laying out a cigar shop and full-service tobacconist. In these sets of photos, we showcase the surveillance cameras, the plate glass windows for the humidor door and viewing windows, the humidifier and filtration system and a few more items that have contributed to the progress. We hope that the next post on this subject will reveal the final steps that will ultimately lead to the completion of Habana Port's first cigar shop. Until then, take a look and enjoy!

July 16, 2010

The door and side window have their glass plates installed.

The humidor is secured with cameras in the corners.

A few of the ceiling tile panels have gone up.

The television viewing area of the smoking lounge.

The back area of the shop has the flooring down.

The filtration system which will produce distilled water for the humidifier is necessary to prevent hard water from ruining the cigars.

The accessories area.

The humidor door.

The humidifier is in the corner. The high placement will ensure a more even dispersion of humidity.

Our carpenter installing the final cedar panel in the humidor.

July 19, 2010

The ceiling is almost complete.

The television viewing area with ceiling tiles in place.

The humidor is almost sealed.

Don't worry. That fluorescent light is there temporarily.

The lounge again.

July 20, 2010

Our carpenter displays our cabinet that will go behind the sales counter. This will house cigarettes and other small items. This is made of Spanish cedar remnants and will be stained to match the wainscot.

The lounge. That case will house our pipe selection.

Another view of the humidor. I can see the amount of cigars that will soon fill this room...

Humidor.

The lounge is getting there and will be home to some good times soon.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

Shop Buildout, Part V

The walk-in humidor with the new island shelving.

Saludos,

Greetings friends of Habana Port. This is the next installment of our Shop Buildout series. We will show you the construction progress from July 9 to July 14 and what progress has been made! We were not expecting to install our humidor island but with the extra cedar we had at the moment, our carpenter made good use of the material. The island will allow Habana Port to showcase a larger cigar selection so we all benefit. The island also fills in the empty space in the humidor so there are both functional and aesthetic uses for our additional merchandising display. We also receive a new shop resident and the humidor ceiling begins its treatment. View on and enjoy!

July 9, 2010

Another view of the walk-in humidor.

Looking towards the humidor entrance.

Prepping some humidor ceiling work. Notice the track lights and ceiling fans on the left ready for installation.

The smoking lounge.

The humidor window frame. Ready for plate glass installation.

The storage room is waiting for its flooring.

Looking towards the front of the shop from the accessories merchandising area.

July 12, 2010

Our shopping center looks grand even in this heat.

Our cigar store Indian has landed and is ready to herald to the world of Habana Port's existence.

Our owner is posing with our new friend.

July 14, 2010

Soon enough, merchandise and display cases will replace the construction equipment.

The track lighting and ceiling fans are installed in the humidor.

It is important that a humidor not use fluorescent lighting as that light bleaches cigar wrappers. Not a healthy light anyway!

Our flooring installer works in the back of the shop.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

Indoor Signage and Decals

The decal sticker that will adorn the glass of the Humidor Entrance Door

Saludos,

Good evening, devotees of tabaco. As we wind the day, we wanted to show you some of the signage we created that will adorn the layout of the cigar shop. As an example, above you can see the decal sticker that will be placed on the door that will lead you into our 300 square-foot walk-in humidor.

This is Marketing 101, people. In order to strengthen a brand/image, one must vigorously implement heavy repetition of the logo; in this case we want the cigar shop's logo plastered throughout the store, so that once you leave our premises, our image is burned into your subconscious. Well nevermind the corporate mind-subjugation and marketing psychobabble talk, and take a look at Habana Port's latest signage!

The magnetic car decal that will display our shop's information while our vehicles traverse the Greater New Orleans area and Northshore.

The full-color logo will appear on the glass door of the shop's entrance AND on the large plate-glass window of our humidor.

We hope you enjoy the subtle variations of Habana Port's logo that will be heavily seen in this part of southeastern Louisiana soon enough. For now, follow this blog so that you may continue to receive an insider's look at the buildout of this next local brick-and-mortar cigar shop.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

Tentative Billboard Design

Saludos,

Good evening, friends of Habana Port. We quickly wanted to share with you our tentative billboard design. Our shop intends to implement quite the marketing campaign and we are within our budget to advertise our shop using a billboard. This is the layout we designed. We will post pictures of the final product when it is up and heralding to the world of our presence. What do you think?

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port

Shop Buildout, Part IV

Saludos,

fellow followers of Habana Port! Wow, we are on fire! The buildout is nearing completion (perhaps within a week now) and we are excited to get the doors open. However there is still plenty of groundwork that has to be laid and we are working around the clock to establish a top retailing cigar concern.

In the meanwhile (and in between World Cup play, of course), you can read up on our progress from June 30 to July 7. The humidor has been receiving the most attention with the shelving starting to go up. This took some planning as we want to maximize shelf space so that we may offer the largest and most diverse selection this side of Lake Ponchartrain and at the same time provide a comfortable feel when the customer browses inside. It is a delicate balance but we are confident the layout is supreme. Enjoy the pictures and we should resume the updates by the end of next week.

June 30, 2010

The Smoking Lounge.

The Television area of the Lounge.

The Entrance to the Humidor. Notice the Spanish cedar to the right ready for cutting.

The Checkout Station is a storage area right now.

Another day of Spanish cedar immersion.

That's quite a bit of Spanish cedar. You don't want to see the price-tag.

Before the shelving goes up the walls have to be lined with cedar.

Another view.

July 6, 2010

Measuring and cutting the shelving. The contractors must focus and maintain concentration.

The Lounge and Humidor.

The Entrance with a view of the first set of shelves within.

Looking through the Humidor's Glass Window, the shelving from here looks fantastic!

For right now, the Lounge is the staging area for the cut shelving that will be affixed within the humidor.

A bit more cutting. Mind the cedar dust, okay?

Another set of shelves on the right.

Those aren't reflective globular UFOs in the foreground. That's Spanish cedar dust.

Looking from within the Humidor through the Glass Window area (sans glass).

The shelves are well cut and affixed. We managed to construct 7 levels of shelving with the top flat shelf storing our back-up cigar boxes.

From the back of the Humidor looking towards the Entrance.

Notice the Contractor builds the frame of the shelving and then installs each individual shelf. Very efficient and ensures a correct job.

A little help goes a long way.

Another fine day's work.

July 7, 2010

Good morning, Humidor.

The shelves are multiplying.

Notice the detail of leaving a gap on the base of the shelves. This allows customers to get closer to the cigars without any obstruction.

Almost there.

A smaller partitioning of the shelves when we reach a corner of the humidor.

Imagine when we have to fill this room up with cigars...

Just completed, this section of shelving is going to be picked up and affixed to the wall.

Beautiful.

Closing up this side of the Humidor and working through that corner.

Plenty of shelf space now.

Using the staple gun, our contractor has also built out bars. He is a true builder of dreams.

There is no wasted space in this Walk-in Humi.

Another fruitful day comes to a close but the work remains to be done.

Until the next post, siempre fumando

Habana Port