La Gitana Premium Cigars is getting its big moment this Thursday at 4 p.m., with a formal ribbon-cutting on Canton Road in Akron after quietly opening its doors in January. The new cigar lounge and wine bar is pitching itself as a laid-back hangout built around premium cigars, cocktails and Cuban-style coffee. Owners Dorian Smith and Ivonne Martinez brought the concept up from South Florida and say the Akron spot is meant to operate as both a retail humidor and an evening lounge. Organizers have invited local leaders and business groups to help celebrate the opening.
Ribbon cutting set this week
According to a press release reported by Cleveland.com, the grand-opening ribbon cutting is locked in for this Thursday at 4 p.m. and will include community leaders from Akron, Springfield Township and the Black Chamber of Akron. Live acoustic music from Ian Lane is on the schedule, and organizers are billing the event as a proper introduction to the lounge for the neighborhood. In the release, co-owner Ivonne Martinez said, “La Gitana was designed to be intentional.”
Owners and Florida roots
State business filings list Dorian Smith and Ivonne Martinez as principals of La Gitana Cigars and Wine House in Hallandale Beach, Florida, according to the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz). The Akron storefront is listed at 1177 Canton Road, according to a commercial property listing for that address (CityFeet). The owners say they created La Gitana as a community-minded space that blends a curated humidor with a hospitality-focused bar program…