In 1997, Lou Firsich and Bill Daley, two college friends in their 50s, were at a mutual friend’s wedding when they noticed the many men and women smoking cigars at the celebration.
“There was a big cigar craze in the 1990s that really broadened that audience. All of a sudden, you were seeing the rich and famous on the cover of magazines smoking cigars, and it kind of opened a door,” said Lou’s son, Michael Firsich. “They decided to open the first The Cigar Box at 75th and Shadeland Avenue, a small, 800-square-foot retail shop, and created a great following and a great store. Now, we’re standing on their shoulders.”
In 2015 and 2017, Lou and Bill passed away, and their sons, Firsich and Tim Daley, have continued to grow the business.
They opened a second Cigar Box location in Carmel in 2019 and another location in Westfield in April 2025.
This time, however, after customers routinely asked when they would start serving alcohol, they created a new concept for the Westfield space.
“The one on Shadeland and the one in Carmel are a retail lounge. Probably 80 percent of our customers are purchasing cigars and taking them home or to the golf course. The other 20 percent are regulars that come in and sit down to smoke with the guys and watch sports on television,” Firsich said. “Westfield is a cigar bar, so it’s completely different.”
They found the perfect location near Grand Park and changed things up a bit.
“A lot of people going to Westfield are looking for an evening out. We offer a wide selection of liquor and cocktails. Our Old Fashioned and Espresso Martinis are our best-selling drinks, but we also offer nonalcoholic and mocktail beverages,” Firsich said. “We’ve received phenomenal compliments on our flatbreads, charcuterie boards and hummus plates. People don’t often expect food at a cigar bar, but we purposely wanted to
make sure we had a nice food selection too and an environment that anyone over 21 can enjoy.”
They installed a premium ventilation system, ensuring clothes and hair don’t smell when you leave The Cigar Box, and they hired General Manager Cesar Escamilla for his background, experience and leadership skills.
“Cesar is a certified tobacconist. His knowledge of cigars and the skills to help our guests select cigars are invaluable,” Firsich said. “Everyone loves Cesar. He’s recruited, hired and trained our entire staff at Westfield, and he created the training program, systems and operations there.”
With the friendly atmosphere, elevated bar experience and centuries-old cultural understanding, men and women are enjoying The Cigar Bar as their new hangout spot in the evenings and on weekends.
“I think there’s a bit of nostalgia. If your dad smoked cigars, the smell can bring you back to a certain time. There’s an allure that successful and sophisticated people smoke them. However, you can get a cigar anywhere from $2 to a few hundred dollars these days,” Firsich said.
Most of all, the cigar bar is often a communal event.
It’s where friends and neighbors meet and share life together.
“Particularly for the guys, you can walk in as a stranger, and the next thing you know, we’re all best friends. I’ve seen the retail shops create friendships that have lasted a lifetime, and with the Westfield location, we’re creating that for couples, and men and women to enjoy,” Firsich said.
Visit thecigarboxonline.com for more information.
