Just a little over three years ago FUMA Cigar Social was under different management. When the original owners wanted to sell, they approached two of their regular customers and asked if they would be interested in taking over the business. Chuck and Marquis said, “Yes.” Three years later and FUMA Cigar Social has made some changes. The biggest change, according to Marquis, is in the humidor. What I find truly interesting about FUMA Cigar Social, is how well Chuck and Marquis work together. They both have skill sets that they bring from their regular jobs or other businesses they own, and use those lessons learned to better their joint venture.Â
FUMA Cigar Social is a Black-owned business, but that isn’t where their focus lies. While talking with Chuck, he wanted to make sure that everyone who walks through their doors is treated equally. The focus is on the customer and their individual needs. The staff at FUMA Cigar Social are directed to make everyone feel at home and welcomed.Â
OVERVIEW
ADDRESS:Â Â 1307 N Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32303
PHONE #:Â Â (850) 765-5756
HOURS:Â Â Monday-Wednesday: 10am-11pm; Thursday: 10am-12pm; Friday: 10am-2am; Saturday: 3pm-2am; Sunday: 3pm-10pm
BOOZE AVAILABLE:Â Â Yes (beer and wine)
DRINKS AVAILABLE:Â Â Yes
FOOD AVAILABLE:Â Â No (Though there may be baked goods available)
SPECIFICS
SMOKING LOUNGE:Â Â Yes
WALK-IN HUMIDOR:Â Â Yes
SPONSORED LOUNGE:Â Â No
OUTDOOR SMOKING AREA:Â Â Yes
MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE:Â Â Yes
THE LOCATION
Those who are familiar with Tallahassee, Florida will tell you that it can take some time to get from one end of the city to the other. While traffic can be an issue in most medium to large metro areas, I had no problem navigating from my hotel to Midtown, where FUMA Cigar Social is located. The building is shared with a coffee house and a restaurant on either side of FUMA Cigar Social. If a cigar lounge has to share a building with other businesses, there may not be better neighbors. There are several other restaurants in the area and it seems to be a nice area. The brick building gives FUMA character and a bit of charm that beckons cigar smokers to come inside, sit down, light a cigar, and relax.
HUMIDOR
SELECTION/HUMIDOR SIZE
The walk-in humidor at FUMA Cigar Social is not the largest I’ve ever seen. The window to the outside allows plenty of light inside the space; however, it does give me pause as daily sunlight on cigars can wash out the wrappers and also affect how the cigars burn and taste. There did not seem to be a problem on any of the cigars, as far as I could tell, but it is something that could be an issue if the stock is not turned over regularly. It almost feels as if the humidor was originally an afterthought (more on that later). Though, the light does help the smaller space feel more open, so there is a positive to the window.Â
The cigar selection found inside their humidor is fairly robust and varied. They certainly carry some of the usual suspects: Acid, Deadwood, Perdomo, Cohiba, Oliva, and Rocky Patel. They also carry some boutique brands like Valacari and Aladino. The selection is not to my particular tastes, but they do have something for everyone. Now, to be fair, their selection is well curated to their customer base by Marquis. He is constantly asking his customers what brands they’d like to see inside the humidor.Â
HUMIDOR MAINTENANCE
The humidor inside FUMA Cigar Social was very well maintained. There was no mold on any of the cigars that I could see. There were only a few boxes that had less than five cigars in them. There was no clutter, no dust, and everything inside seemed to be well organized. The humidification system was more than just the “Florida weather,” something I’ve seen in more than a few shops in the state. While I was there, I observed an employee restocking and tidying up the humidor for more than just a few minutes. It is obvious that Chuck and Marquis take pride in what they’re doing in the humidor.
THE LOUNGE
CUSTOMER SERVICE/STAFF KNOWLEDGE
Chuck and Marquis both claim to not be “aficionados,” but they both know their way around the humidor, the bar, and the lounge. Their focus, as I said at the beginning of this review, is customer service. They both know customer service, too. They instill this in their staff. During the (checks my watch) nine hours I was there (recording, interviewing, and just relaxing and smoking), my ashtray was never full. Their staff was very attentive and made sure that everyone was taken care of. While their staff may not be well-versed in cigars, they are well-versed in how to treat every customer like they’re their to enjoy a vacation.Â
LOUNGE SIZE
FUMA Cigar Social is, what I would call, a very spacious lounge. There are four televisions (five if you include the one by the cash register up front), a bar with plenty of seating, and several tables/chairs/couches that can be arranged to accommodate an intimate party of two or a large party watching the game. The even have a board game area for when their members, or regular guests, fancy a game of chess or any number of other board games that they have available. The bar serves beer and wine, and makes for a great “set piece” for the lounge. Unlike some lounges that serve alcohol, FUMA puts the focus on the cigar smokers, the humidor, the lounge, and then the bar. But the bar is pretty sexy.Â
AMBIANCE
The lounge is what I would call “upscale but approachable.” It is modern, tastefully decorated, and well lit. FUMA Cigar Social checks all the boxes of what one should look for in a lounge setting. The issue, for me at least, is the dichotomy between the front of the store (humidor) and the lounge area. Chuck and Marquis are putting more effort into the humidor.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
HUMIDOR EXPERIENCE
Have you ever walked into a humidor and thought, “This is nice, but…”? For me, this is one of those times. It’s nice, but there’s just too many of the usual suspects and not enough boutique. Padron is the only ultra premium cigar brand they have in stock. Valacari and Aladino are it when it comes to boutique. It IS a nice humidor…but that window! That said, selection is subjective. The owners have their finger on the pulse of their customer base and are always looking to make changes, bring in new brands, and keep things fresh in the humidor.Â
LOUNGE EXPERIENCE
I have zero complaints when it comes to their lounge or their customer service. The bar is the centerpiece of what is a fantastic lounge. The versatility to have a space that is conducive to both an intimate setting and a party vibe is not something a lot of lounges can pull off. The customer service is on point and the ambiance is just sublime. Again, I have zero complaints here.Â
RATING BREAKDOWN
2.57Â / 3.00 … Customer Service/Staff Knowledge
2.20Â / 3.00 … Selection/Humidor Size/Humidor Maintenance
3.90Â / 3.50 … Ambiance
0.50Â / 0.50 … Lounge Size
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- A great overall space!
- Customer service is above and beyond.
- Humidor is a work in progress.
COFFEE, WINE, AND BEER. OH MY!
The afterthought that is the humidor is being worked on. I mean, that’s literally my only complaint. Chuck and Marquis are doing a great job at evolving the humidor and keeping it stocked with a great, curated selection of cigars. The humidor size is small and the selection is pedestrian, but getting better. The boutique is lacking, though they recently added Lure Cigars to the humidor. Plasencia and Padron are great ultra premium brands, but there is a disproportionate amount of General and Altadis cigars. Their humidor would be best served with the likes of Lampert, Cavalier, Casdagli, 1502, and even Davidoff. There are so many great brands out there. The rest of FUMA Cigar Social is *CHEF’S KISS*. This is THE spot to go to if you’re in the Tallahassee area.
