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.
Menu, cigars and hours
La Gitana’s food-and-drink lineup includes bourbon, wine, beer, premium spirits, Cuban-inspired cocktails, Cuban coffee and other specialty beverages, and the lounge has rolled out a house cigar line called La Gitana Legends, as reported by Cleveland.com. Posted hours are Monday through Friday from 2 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. The owners say the combination of drinks and a dedicated cigar line is intended to create a relaxed late-afternoon and evening gathering spot.
Where it fits in Akron
La Gitana joins a small but growing lineup of cigar shops and lounges in the Akron area, where spots like Summit Cigar Company already offer humidor space and events for cigar fans. That built-in audience could help La Gitana get up to speed quickly as the owners introduce special tastings and other programming. Organizers say this week’s ribbon-cutting is the first of several community-focused events planned for the spring.
The Thursday event will give Akron residents a chance to tour the space and sample what is on offer, and the owners say they intend to expand public programming over the coming months.
