Where it all began..........

Gregg and I have been happily married for 27 years, yes that means we met in high school. We have two beautiful daughters who we have raised in Oceanside. We moved here 17 years ago when Gregg decided we wanted a more diversified area for our children to grow and learn from. Gregg worked for Vons grocery store at the time. He then left and dabbled in other small businesses before his grandfather Ed Cook and my father Zamir Jumani got a hold of him and said your good at what you do, but definitely run on your own time schedule, you should consider being your own boss. I thought this was a great idea because the man is late everywhere he goes at least this way he couldn't be fired. He had a good friend named Steve-o in Huntington Beach that owned a cigar store, something Gregg and I had never really gotten into, yet. A year after visiting the store he came home and said he wanted to open a cigar store.

My response: You want to what?

When I saw the look in his eyes I just knew, we were going to own a cigar store so we started looking for a location. He repeatedly went back to the location where the store is but wouldn't commit. He had two young daughters, a wife, a house and all the fun stuff that comes long with it to worry about. Driving one day we past the location and he said it again. So the Boss had to make it happen. I called the realtor Larry O'harra and said let's meet.  Gregg was not even aware of the meeting. We walked it, talked it and I liked it and realized something keeps drawing Gregg to this location. I went home and told my husband I set up a meeting with Larry the next day, he thought he was just viewing the location inside. Nope mama made it happen. The day before I had cut a check and signed a lease.  When Gregg walked in he was being handed the keys to what he named, CIGAR GROTTO.

We started off by finding Brian Hasholdt the most amazing contractor to create the largest walk in humidor in North County, he worked day and night to make this the most beautiful humidor that stores and maintains your perfect cigars.  Now what? My mother came in to help stock, my daughters came in to help and I was excited to see what was taking place.  We started finding crates for displays, the fabulous butane display, remember that? Ashtrays and whatever we could find to fill the store. And we opened.    Now need more space.

I cannot tell you how many would stop in just to ask "what were you thinking" or tell us "it will never work". It was the day Tom Morrow walked in and told Gregg, wow! I like, Oceanside needs this, and I'm going to help you. I opened up the North County Times the next morning and saw that wonderful mans face and knew this is the beginning. Now if you know Tom that means a lot. The man is an Oceanside fixture, and was telling us this was good. With Tom's help we started having Cigar Dinners at McCabe's and The Flying Bridge. We'd get 40 people and have a fine meal prepared by Danny Cannon enjoy spirits and cigars and great camaraderie. We have moved from those places to Hennessey's in both Carlsbad and Vista, Finnegan's, Luigi's, and so many more. We were thrilled when we had jack Feller, Rocky Chavez, and Mayor Dick Lyons, stop by and tell us how much they appreciated us going big with the windows and decor in hopes other stores would follow suite. Some did and obviously to this day some still just don't get it. 

The Vendors:  I remember one of the first reps that walked in the store, paused looked around and I am sure thought what they heck??? Then Gregg would talk with them and they got it, this guys going to rock this place. By word of mouth more and more reps came to us, we didn't have to go to them. Except one... all of the other people in the industry told us you'll never get a Padron account, your too new, your too small, it will never happen, telling us it took some of them 6 years blah blah blah. Guess they never met me! We went to our very first RTDA convention in Vegas and I saw the Padron booth and told Gregg let's just go ask, the worst they can do is say no. I could see the hesitance in him being new to it all and said don't worry I got it covered. I walked up to Orlando Padron introduced myself told him the entire story and we started our account with the Padron family that day. Can you even imagine how much fun I had telling that story to the nay sayers. An absolute blast!!!

Since then we have taken customers to Cancun which you can see on the website, Honduras three times and are now planning to the Dominican Republic, and back to Cancun with Camacho. With our customers/family we have traveled to other countries to witness weddings, graduations, hosted re-enlistments in the humidor, Military Graduations and Military Balls.  It just doesn't get any better.

My favorite memory to date is the parents of a young Marine who came in our store after his graduation on Camp Pendleton and thanked Gregg for taking their son under his wing, treating him with dignity and respect, having him over for Thanksgiving and just letting him know there's someone here for you if you need'em. From one parents to another Wow!

We have been in business for 9 1/2 years as of today, and we couldn't be happier, and more proud of not only of our immediate family, but our community, and our store but more importantly the friendships and family we have developed with you.

So a quick thank you to Ed Cook, Gregg's Grandfather and my daddy Zamir Jumani. If they would not have believed in him you'd be buying your cigars somewhere else. Ouch!

With much Respect,

Gregg's Wife