Tacoma cigar bar back in business, despite state smoking ban
TACOMA, Wash. -- As it turns out, cigar smokers can pay a price to store their stogies and light up in Tacoma's El Gaucho lounge, in spite of a statewide indoor smoking ban.
The sagging economy took a big bite out of El Gaucho owner Paul MacKay's restaurants.
"I would say 2009 was the worst year of my life of everything going south," he said.
MacKay closed two of his upscale eateries and laid off more than 50 employees. That's on top of losses suffered since the statewide indoor smoking ban forced him to shut his cigar lounges.
"(In) Seattle, we lost a million and a half million in Tacoma," he said.
Top shelf liquor sales swirled out the window with the smoke.
But now, to boost business, MacKay is bringing back the cigar lounge in Tacoma's El Gaucho.
Wednesday, the state health department stopped by on a fact-finding mission to see how he's opened a sanctuary for cigar lovers when smoking isn't allowed in the workplace.
"The Washington state law on tobacco is the toughest one in the U.S.," MacKay said.
He's had to jump through a lot of smoke rings to meet code. MacKay created a 25-foot long glassed off airlock walkway separating the restaurant from the VIP lounge. To stay within guidelines, the lounge is operated by owners of a newly created company -- not employees and it isn't open to the public.
"You can't just come in, you have to be invited," MacKay said.
For $500 a year, he'll even store your stogies in a private humidor.
MacKay knows he's not seen the last of the health department.
"You don't want to stand in front of a paver," he said. "But if there was any time that I could remember, now's the time."
He hopes when the smoke clears, he can sit back and enjoy a cigar.
El Gaucho's cigar bar in Portland was grandfathered in when Oregon's smoking ban went into effect. And there is no cigarette or pipe smoking allowed in the VIP lounge there.
The sagging economy took a big bite out of El Gaucho owner Paul MacKay's restaurants.
"I would say 2009 was the worst year of my life of everything going south," he said.
MacKay closed two of his upscale eateries and laid off more than 50 employees. That's on top of losses suffered since the statewide indoor smoking ban forced him to shut his cigar lounges.
"(In) Seattle, we lost a million and a half million in Tacoma," he said.
Top shelf liquor sales swirled out the window with the smoke.
But now, to boost business, MacKay is bringing back the cigar lounge in Tacoma's El Gaucho.
Wednesday, the state health department stopped by on a fact-finding mission to see how he's opened a sanctuary for cigar lovers when smoking isn't allowed in the workplace.
"The Washington state law on tobacco is the toughest one in the U.S.," MacKay said.
He's had to jump through a lot of smoke rings to meet code. MacKay created a 25-foot long glassed off airlock walkway separating the restaurant from the VIP lounge. To stay within guidelines, the lounge is operated by owners of a newly created company -- not employees and it isn't open to the public.
"You can't just come in, you have to be invited," MacKay said.
For $500 a year, he'll even store your stogies in a private humidor.
MacKay knows he's not seen the last of the health department.
"You don't want to stand in front of a paver," he said. "But if there was any time that I could remember, now's the time."
He hopes when the smoke clears, he can sit back and enjoy a cigar.
El Gaucho's cigar bar in Portland was grandfathered in when Oregon's smoking ban went into effect. And there is no cigarette or pipe smoking allowed in the VIP lounge there.