Capital Cigar Lounge

What Capital Cigar Lounge does

Capital Cigar Lounge, legally operated through Midwest Leaf, LLC (Nebraska), runs a single-location luxury cigar lounge and members club at 5505 South 16th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company serves discerning professionals, cigar enthusiasts, and walk-in public guests with an integrated offering that combines a 50+ brand cigar humidor (including Padron, Monte Cristo, Davidoff, Cohiba, Diamond Crown, Crux, and Alec Bradley), a full-service bar, private and public lounge areas, a VIP room, a rental conference room, and humidified cigar lockers. Co-founded by Austin M. Hillis (who acquired the predecessor Capital Cigar Company in June 2017) and Anthony L. Goins (a former banker and U.S. Marine with 30+ years of business experience), the lounge opened in November 2018 as Lincoln's first high-end cigar venue.

The business monetizes through five streams: subscription memberships (Personal at $750/quarter or $3,000/year; Corporate at $1,000/quarter or $4,000/year covering three members) providing 24/7 entry, private lockers, conference room access, and a 15% retail discount; pay-as-you-go conference room rental at $45/hour; public cigar locker rentals at $40/month or $478/year; retail cigar and accessory sales; and food, beverage, and event revenue. The underlying operational technology stack is minimal — the only recognized 'tech' feature is a phone-app entry system for members — and there is no proprietary platform; instead, the company relies on physical infrastructure, curated inventory, and curated programming (weekly Whiskey Wednesday hosted by mixologist Abby, the World Slow Smoke Championship Nebraska Regional Qualifier, and an eight-episode podcast/video series) to drive foot traffic.

Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, anchored by a mutual partnership with Alec Bradley Cigars (founder Alan Rubin), episodic content marketing via the podcast, and organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram. The company is privately held by its two co-founders with no disclosed parent company, external investors, subsidiaries, or acquisition activity to date.

Name

Capital Cigar Lounge

Legal name

Midwest Leaf, LLC

Website

https://capitalcigar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capital Cigar Lounge operates a single-location luxury cigar lounge and members club in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving professionals, cigar enthusiasts, and the general public through memberships, premium cigar retail, a bar, and curated events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cigar Lounge and Hospitality

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cigar Bars & Lounges (CRANACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cigar & Premium Tobacco Retail (CRANADAB), Specialty Membership Clubs (Category-Focused) (CRAEADAI)

Keywords

• Cigar lounge
• Premium cigar retail
• Whiskey bar service
• Private member club
• Humidor storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Quarterly and annual membership fees providing 24/7 access, private lounge areas, conference room access, and 15% discount on all purchases. Personal memberships at $750/quarter or $3000/year, corporate memberships (3 members) at $1000/quarter or $4000/year.
2. Conference Room Rental: Hourly rental of private conference room at $45/hour for patrons, creating a business/events revenue stream.
3. Food, Beverages, and Events: Full bar service, whiskey tastings, and special events like Whiskey Wednesday and World Slow Smoke Championship generate additional revenue from food, beverages, and event participation fees.
4. Cigar and Accessory Retail: Retail sales of premium cigars from their curated selection of top-rated brands, humidors, and smoking accessories. Carries over 50 cigar brands including Padron, Monte Cristo, Davidoff, Cohiba, Diamond Crown, Crux, and Alec Bradley.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Capital Cigar Lounge operates a luxury physical cigar lounge and members club in Lincoln, Nebraska, providing walk-in and member access to a curated humidor of 50+ premium cigar brands, a full-service bar, whiskey tastings, private cigar lockers, and on-site conference room rentals. The lounge sells subscription memberships (Personal at $750/quarter and Corporate at $1,000/quarter) granting 24/7 access, a 15% discount on purchases, and exclusive member events, alongside hourly conference room rentals and recurring cigar and whiskey events.

Product overview

Capital Cigar Lounge operates as a single-location luxury cigar lounge and members club in Lincoln, Nebraska. The core offering is the lounge experience itself, which provides a refined atmosphere for cigar enthusiasts to enjoy fine cigars, whiskey, cocktails, and socializing. The business offers tiered membership programs—Personal Membership ($750/quarter) and Corporate Membership ($1,000/quarter)—that provide 24/7 access, private cigar lockers, conference room privileges, and discounts. Additional revenue streams include conference room rental ($45/hour), public locker rental ($40/month), and a curated humidor selection featuring premium cigar brands. The lounge hosts recurring events including Whiskey Wednesday and the World Slow Smoke Championship Nebraska Regional Qualifier, and produces a podcast series documenting its story and partnership with Alec Bradley Cigars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Membership Personal Membership is an individual subscription at $750/quarter or $3,000/year that provides 24/7 lounge access via phone app entry, a private cigar locker, a private entrance door, unlimited conference room access, a 15% discount on all purchases, full bar and humidor service, early access to public events, and private member events, designed for discerning individual cigar and whiskey enthusiasts aged 21+.
• Corporate Membership Corporate Membership is a business subscription at $1,000/quarter or $4,000/year covering three named members with all Personal Membership perks, including 24/7 access, private cigar lockers, unlimited conference room access, a 15% discount on purchases, and private member events, designed for businesses and professional groups using the lounge for client entertainment, executive networking, and private meetings.
• Conference Room Rental Conference Room Rental provides hourly access to the lounge's private conference room at $45/hour, with payment due upon use, available to all patrons for business meetings and small events, and unlimited for Personal and Corporate Members.
• Public Locker Rental Public Locker Rental provides humidified cigar storage at $40/month or $478/year for non-members who want secure, climate-controlled storage of their cigar collections without a full lounge membership.
• Cigar and Accessory Retail Retail sales of premium cigars from a curated humidor of 50+ brands (including Padron, Monte Cristo, Davidoff, Cohiba, Diamond Crown, Crux, Alec Bradley, Ashton, and others) along with humidors and smoking accessories, available to walk-in customers and members (who receive a 15% discount) at the Lincoln, Nebraska lounge location.
• Walk-in Lounge and Bar Service Walk-in Lounge and Bar Service provides public access to the Lincoln, Nebraska cigar lounge, full-service bar, and humidor for any patron aged 21+, allowing guests to purchase cigars, whiskey, cocktails, and food on a per-visit basis without a membership.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alec Bradley CigarscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2018Partnership with Alec Bradley Cigars featuring Alan Rubin, founder. Episode 6 of the Capital Cigar podcast discusses the partnership. Alec Bradley hosted a pre-grand opening event at the lounge with food from Blue Blood Brewery and Mary's BBQ. The partnership brings exclusive brand events and visibility to the lounge.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Corona Cigar Co. Multi-location cigar bar and lounge operation combining large humidor retail selections with premium spirits, cigars, and lounge seating—closely aligned in retail-plus-experience model and category breadth.
• Safari Cigar & Lounge: Omaha-based cigar lounge directly mentioned as an industry peer in Capital's own podcast; comparable Midwestern upscale cigar lounge model serving similar cigar enthusiast and professional segments in a neighboring Nebraska market.
• Smoke Inn: Long-standing Florida-based cigar retailer operating destination retail stores and lounge experiences focused on premium cigars and cigar culture—comparable experiential retail-lounge hybrid.
• Stogies World Class Cigars: Houston-based destination cigar lounge and humidor retailer positioning around broad premium brand selection and a sophisticated lounge atmosphere—closely aligned premium positioning and inventory breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Casa de Montecristo: National chain of upscale cigar lounges and retail shops featuring premium cigar brands, walk-in humidor retail, and member amenities—directly comparable retail/lounge hybrid model at greater scale.
• Cigars International: Large direct-to-consumer cigar retailer with broad multi-brand premium inventory comparable to Capital's 50+ brand humidor assortment and cigar culture marketing approach.
• Nat Sherman (Cigar Lounge): Premium cigar manufacturer with a flagship cigar shop and lounge in New York offering branded premium cigars in a luxury lounge setting—comparable upmarket brand-and-lounge convergence.
• Davidoff of Geneva (Cigar Lounge): Premium cigar brand operates branded lounges and boutiques globally featuring Davidoff and adjacent premium labels—directly relevant as both a vendor brand Capital carries and as a comparable upmarket cigar lounge operator.
• Tinder Box: Franchise-based specialty cigar retailer and lounge operator with extensive walk-in humidor selections and cigar culture programming—comparable retail-plus-experience model at scale.
• Famous Smoke Shop: Established national cigar retailer offering extensive premium cigar e-commerce and a growing lounge/retail hybrid footprint; comparable premium cigar retail selection (50+ brands) and cigar culture content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/capitalcigarco
• Instagraminstagram.com/capitalcigarco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capitalcigarlounge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Capital Cigar Lounge