Rich Castiano’s 1929 Cigars Gaining Support, Sales and Accolades

Local 239 Businessman Ready to Go Nationwide with Tribute Cigar to his Father made by Rocky Patel

It was an exciting night at The World Famous Cigar Bar as local businessman Rich Castiano proudly welcomed friends and lit Castiano 1929 Cigars for guests at the Friday April 27, ‘Cigar of the Month‘  pairing with Johnnie Walker Swing Scotch.

BeverageUnderground.com was on-location as Rich Castiano and the Cigar Bar family celebrated and paid tribute to his father Sal, by featuring the entire line of his own custom blended Castiano 1929 Cigars.

The Castiano 1929 is a ‘family’ blend selected by Rich and his father Sal Castiano and made by Rocky Patel one of the world’s most celebrated growers of tobaccos and manufacturers of award-winning cigars.

Castiano is one of the country’s most respected retailers who helped define the ‘Cigar Bar’ theme over 15 years ago.  His two locations in Fort Myers are truly ‘World Famous” and Castiano also partnered with Rocky Patel to open Burn, Rocky Patel’s Cigar Nightclub and Lounge in Naples, Florida.

“This cigar is really the type of cigar my Dad enjoys, a mild to medium smoke that he can smoke every day”, said Castiano as he met friends in the humidor at the bar and at the front door of his Gulf Coast Town Center location.

“That was the goal really, to create that every-day, anytime smoke for cigar smokers and the type of cigar everybody, even the once in a while smoker could enjoy on occasion” he added. “We are all proud of this first effort and we plan to expand the line.”

The Castiano family first came to Fort Myers in the early 1980′s and it was Rich’s passion for bars…and really, cigars… that has led to him being the favorite place in Southwest Florida to enjoy both.  Castiano was a bar trainer and top-notch bartender at T.G.I.Fridays after attending SUNY Cortland State.

While still working the bar at Friday’s in the Bell Tower,  he opened a  small cigar retail cigar shop often manned by his father Sal or his mother Arlene in downtown Ft. Myers,  while Rich began making life long contacts with other dedicated smokers…and sellers of fine cigars.

He opened his first ‘Cigar Bar’ in the mid-90′s and while others were riding a wave of cigar popularity, Rich Castiano stayed true to his passion and continued to create a smoke friendly neighborhood bar that became a downtown landmark.

As he grew, his family became more important to the success and to this day, Monday thru Friday,  his mom Arlene,  ‘Mrs. C’ is a not only a matriarch of her family but is a familiar, friendly and knowledgeable ‘tobacconist’ who has picked out just the right gift or cigar for thousands.Sal Castiano is mostly retired these days, but sister Sally Castiano is  involved in the weekly operations.

Another key to the success of the ‘World Famous Cigar Bar” is the strength of have one of Southwest Florida’s most professional staffs, led by Dino Camerano who has been with Castiano for nearly the entire 15 years and now manages the Gulf Coast Town Center location and Eric Olson who manages the downtown bar and Cigar Bar LIVE, the music venue in historic Ft. Myers.  Beverage Coordinator Randy Santerfeit is one of the area’s more respected bartenders and experts on whiskies, scotches and bourbons.

His entire staff from tobacconists to the bartenders are well trained and hospitable professionals who help educate while providing great service and popular monthly events for everyone that visits either location.

Castiano plans to increase his reach with the Castiano 1929 Cigar by not only broadening it’s distribution but has planned another trip to blend some other tobaccos that may attract other smokers to the Castiano ‘family’ of Cigars.

“The response has be great and people truly love this 1929 blend, and I’ll always love and appreciate starting my day with ‘my father’s blend”, Rich said with a smile, “but sometimes you need a bolder smoke for your scotch…and a bolder scotch for your smoke…”

Castiano 1929 Cigars are available at both Fort Myers locations of The “World Famous” Cigar Bar

Short URL: http://www.beverageunderground.com/?p=31583

Posted by BrandManager on May 3 2012. Filed under 239 People, 239 Products, The Humidor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry