PITTSBURG, Kan. — When Dave Looby was contemplating how to spend his retirement, he thought back to one of his favorite spots in Minnesota: a cigar shop.  

Shortly before he retired from his position as the executive director of Explore Crawford County at the beginning of the year, Looby opened Pittsburg Cigar Company, located at 210 S. Broadway Street.  

As a cigar enthusiast for more than 25 years, Looby said he missed having a third space where he could go and mingle with people with different backstories.  

“I came here by myself four years ago and was looking for a place to go that was a communal place,” Looby said.  

One of the first things Looby noticed when moving to Pittsburg in 2021 was the lack of evening activities other than the bar scene.  

“I love the bars that we have, and I love the restaurants that we have, and there's a nice variety of that stuff,” he said. “But it's nice to go to a place that’s a third place. It's not home, it's not work, but somewhere else to go and kind of hang out and meet people and talk and share common interests.” 

Looby’s favorite third space in Minnesota was a cigar shop he frequented.  

“I used to go into the shop that I frequented in Minnesota, and it was like, ‘Cheers,’” he said.  “Half the people would go ‘Looby!’ when I walked in.” 

This cigar shop was also a place to connect and network with people, which was an environment Looby wanted to cultivate in Pittsburg Cigar Company.   

Looby first opened his shop’s doors on Thanksgiving morning and watched the Turkey Trot 5K. 

“Some people came in after the race, and four guys all came in separately,” he said. “They all ended up sitting and talking to each other, and they didn't know each other, they just shared common interests, and interested in cigars. So that's just the kind of vibe that a place like this can bring.” 

Pittsburg Cigar Company features comfortable lounge-style seating for people to gather and enjoy a cigar. The space has proper ventilation and smoke eaters that help clear the air. A walk-in humidor allows Looby to sell cigars that range from value price points to more expensive brands.  

It is said, Looby said, that premium cigars are handled by more than 200 people before a person buys them. The growers are the first to handle the leaves, then different people cut them, hang the leaves to dry, then shift the leaves to get them in the sun or in the shade and different levels within the barns where they dry out and age the tobacco. Then people roll, cut and cap them. Finally, cigars are banded boxed and shipped.  

With his distributor license, Looby can purchase cigars from all over the world. 

As of now, Looby has 20 to 25 brands to choose from with more on the way.  

To match a customer with their ideal cigar, Looby said he asks the person about their tastes before he makes recommendations. Common questions he asks is if the person likes sweet or salty foods, is this their first cigar, and others. Looby said he always recommends newcomers to start with a mild cigar because stronger ones can cause an upset stomach.  

Looby is planning to expand his knowledge on cigars by attending the national cigar convention this year and also take classes. 

In addition to cigars, he sells traveling humidors, grab-and-go cigars, lighters and other items.  

Looby also offers an annual membership called the Executive Gorilla Club. These memberships include a locker inside the walk-in humidor, store credit to use on cigars, and discounts for products. 

The shop also has what Looby calls the “super secret outdoor lounge” which is a partially covered outdoor area where clients can enjoy cigars in almost any weather. His outdoor heaters allow patrons to feel comfortable in winter months.  

The Pittsburg Cigar Company is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. 

Looby said when he was first considering moving away from Minnesota, he was looking at different places all over the country. But Pittsburg became the place he wanted to stay.  

“As soon as I left Kansas City Airport to come down to interview, it was like oh, this reminds me of my college town in northern Minnesota, less pine trees and less lakes,” he said. “I loved the vibe here. Seeing all the gorillas and all the spirit for Pitt State and that kind of thing is great.” 

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.