A 62 year cigar store and lounge, Cousin’s Cigar has been launched at Merriman Valley. The business actually was started by twin brothers William and Sidney Kolod in Cleveland in the year 1951. It has now expanded to six locations. There are four stores in Cleveland, one in Florida and now at Merriman Valley. The store has a large range of fresh, handmade and imported cigars and pipe tobacco and also stocks products such as humidors, cutters, pipes cases and other tobacco products.
The business was begun in Cleveland in 1951 by twin brothers Sidney and William Kolod at 1845 E. Ninth St. Cousin’s Cigar now includes a third generation of the family and six locations, including four in Cleveland, one in the Keys in Florida and the new location in Merriman Valley.
The Akron store opened at the end of April and features a large selection of fresh, imported and handmade cigars and pipe tobacco, as well as related items such as cases, cutters and humidors, pipes and other items.
“Our cigars are the best of the premium imported cigars available today,” said store Manager John Coleman. “We carry all the major brands, as well as boutique brands. We also have the Mile Marker 82, which is made exclusively for us in Miami.”
Coleman said Cousin’s offers customers more than just cigars.
“We also provide the most amenities for enjoying cigars,” he said. “We have one of the largest state-of-the-art walk-in humidors, as well as a smoking lounge. We have a spacious modern shop, and the humidor and the lounge are the heart of the store.”
The 900-square-foot humidor is a climate-controlled room that is used to maintain an optimum level of humidity in storing cigars, which should be kept in a moist environment to prevent them from drying out, according to cigar experts.
The smoking lounge offers customers a place to enjoy their purchases with others in a friendly environment, according to Coleman.
Coleman said that as a tobacco shop, Cousin’s Cigar was able to apply for an annual exemption to the smoking laws because it met the criteria of being a sole occupant in a freestanding building that derives at least 80 percent of its revenue from the sale of tobacco, and because it has no liquor permit.
“We strive to provide a clean, well-lit place with friendly and knowledgeable staff,” said Coleman. “Our staff here has 40 years of experience. We have tried them [cigars] all. We find out about our customers’ preferences, and we can help them find what brands would best suit their tastes.”
Cousin’s Cigar is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Coleman added that if there are customers in the lounge, they often stay open later to accommodate them.
