Cigar Bar Becoming Popular Venue in Downtown Nolensville

By Joshua M. Yardley

          NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. - The Cigar Bar & Bistro might just be the best hotspot for small-time fun in the little town of Nolensville, Tenn.

          Owner and founder Carroll Davis opened the Cigar Bar & Bistro on Dec. 27, 2011. Furnished with a vast array of cigars, new leather couches, and a beer selection that would make any mouth water, the Cigar Bar & Bistro has something for everyone. Davis started the Cigar Bar as part of a passion project for retirement.

"We designed the interior as a 1920s speakeasy atmosphere where people could come in and relax after a hard day and smoke a cigar while taking their mind off of the everyday stress that comes with the 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. workday," said Davis. "The first six months was intense because of the various town ordinances we had to go through in order to be able to sell beer, tobacco, liquor and food. In order to sell tobacco and alcohol, we had to have 65 percent of our total sales be food. What we appealed to the city was to incorporate the cigar sales into that figure in order to stay open. We were rejected on our second reading of the bill due to our close proximity to the baseball fields located next to us."

           Davis likes to try and keep things fresh for his customers, like choosing which cigars are most popular (which he buys directly from the distributor), what kind of beer his regulars like, and having live music every first Saturday of the month. While there are not specific bands that play every Saturday, Davis likes to provide a classic rock cover band that will complement the bar’s atmosphere.

           "Since we were forced to incorporate food into our total sales, we had the idea to order food, through our computers, from the restaurants around us and incorporated that as part of our total food sales," said Brett Wagoner, the official head bartender.

           While there are many different types of cigars offered at the Cigar Bar, there is no single type that is the most popular. Davis likes to order certain cigars based on recommendations from both cigar connoisseurs and patrons of the bar. While Davis offers many beers, both on tap and in a bottle, Wagoner feels that an IPA compliments the cigar taste the best, as do the customers.

          “We offer to call in food from Martin’s BBQ Joint, China Garden, and Uncle Bud’s, which tends to be our highest seller,” Wagoner said.

           Admission is free with no cover charge. Wagoner says the Cigar Bar is a fun gathering place for Nolensville area residents who need a place to wind down after a long, hard day of work. The Cigar Bar & Bistro is located at 7240 Nolensville Road (U.S. Highway 31) in downtown Nolensville. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 p.m. - 10 p.m. To learn more about the venue and see what the interior looks like, visit http://www.cigarbar-nolensville.com. Individuals can like the venue on Facebook at Cigar Bar- Nolensville.