Colloquially known as Cigar City, Ybor was once Florida’s tobacco mecca, bringing Cuban tobacco and cigar culture into the U.S. At its peak, Ybor City had 200 cigar factories producing 600 million cigars per year. Now there are only 25 factories, and of those, just one continues to manufacture cigars: J.C. Newman.
Despite the decline in large-scale manufacturing, boutique cigar establishments have sprung up, reviving some of that lost cultural heritage in Ybor. One standout is Tabanero Cigars (Tabanero, meaning “tavern keeper”), located on historic 7th Avenue at 1601 E. 7th Ave. Following Ybor’s legacy as the “Cigar Capital of the World,” Tabanero opened its doors in 2007 under owner Yanko Maceda.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Yanko Maceda immigrated to the U.S. in 1994 and fell in love with Ybor’s tobacco history. “I thought Miami was a mecca for cigars, but I was blind. Tampa is Cigar City,” he says.
Dreamy cigar lounge beckons aficionados and newbies alike
While most of Maceda’s manufacturing happens in Nicaragua due to a shortage of skilled cigar rollers, some artisans still ply their trade right in the shop. A skilled roller can produce 150 cigars per day. They use multiple tobacco leaves—ligero, seco and volado—to create a blend in which each leaf contributes to strength, aroma and combustion, resulting in a consistent flavor profile and burn…