As I drove up to the location of the newest cigar lounge Cigar Circus in Clearwater Florida, I thought owner Ryan Gallimore must really have guts to put his inspiration in the middle of an industrial park.
When I entered the 6200 sq. foot shop, with a gorgeous built-in 2000 sq ft. humidor and a tasting room, I decided he was a genius.
But, after smoking good cigar after good cigar in his meeting room and later in his lounge, I saw the greatness behind Ryan’s vision of a cigar shop that’s so much more than a cigar shop. He has created a vibe that blends tradition with fresh ideas where cigars and community can truly come together.
Being in the middle of Florida gives Cigar Circus an advantage; they can get cigars from the manufacturers quickly. After the grand opening on March 1, the shop will give their customers access to 1,500+ cigars in the humidor and after March 5, those same cigars on their e-commerce platform.
Their website, Cigarcircus.com, is live now and is promoting its Grand Opening Party on March 1. Ryan says it’s going to be a whole different experience with cigars, drinks and entertainment. The event will have a limited number of tickets and will be $300 per person on EventBrite.
The gusto behind the experienced tobacconist seems to be his work in the industry. Starting from the bottom up teaches all parts of the industry and helped Ryan figure out how to make the perfect cigar shop experience.
His cigar business “training” began 13 years ago in a cigar shop in Dearborn, Michigan. Then he moved into distribution, and launched his own cigar brand, Swinging cigars. His lines were golf-themed: front nine, back nine, hole-in-one. That brand was doing pretty well according to him before the FDA came out with HR 662’s Deeming Regulations.
Ryan got involved in Save the Leaf and went to DC to protest against that regulation. And, along with the rest of the industry, didn’t know how to pay for all the FDA was requiring. He shifted his energy elsewhere and moved to a local wholesaler. He took them from $200,000 to $3.2 million in sales.
That’s when he got “the call.” Yep, Jonathan Drew called and asked, “Are you ready to come to Miami?” He spent the next several years at Drew Estate as the head of consumer engagement. There he was involved in the development of events like the Barn Smokers, Freestyle Live, Sticks and Sips and Cigar Safari along with revamping the swag—like the travel cases and the spray can lighter.
He moved on to become the Director of Business Development at Nsolo Consulting Group and then was able to bring his cigar plans to fruition through Cigar Circus.
“The Come One, Come All” tagged business will be premiering a barn smoker-style circus tent in 2026 that they can take to other cities; like the circus is coming to town. They’ll host a pop-up cigar party, a cigar lounge retail experience, then shut it down and go to the next town.
For more information, contact info@cigarcircus.comor visit www.cigarcircus.com.
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