Cigar craze has ignited around the country. Cigar bars, cigar cafes and special-event cigar dinners are sprouting as fast as tobacco plants in warm sun.

"The resurgence in the interest in cigars caught the industry by surprise. The number of imported premium cigars sold has increased by 30.6 percent in the past year. Nobody saw it coming," says Norman Sharp, president of the Cigar Association of America in Washington DC. "The industry is back-ordered, and it takes one to two years to train a person to make cigars by hand."

Cigar Aficionado magazine reports that there were 500 cigar events held in restaurants, clubs and hotels in 1993; that number tripled to more than 1,500 in 1994. And the new crop of puffers is proving that cigars' appeal is widening — women now represent a fast-growing market segment of cigar smokers.

Niki Singer, senior vice president of Cigar Aficionado, says, "Industry estimates of women cigar smokers are as high as 5 percent, and it's growing every day."

Cigars on a roll

Why the sudden interest in cigar smoking? According to Sharp, "Cigars have recaptured their traditional symbol of success, celebration and achievement. I believe the return in cigar popularity is due in a large part to cigar dinners. People yearn for old established rituals — rituals of elegance and sophistication, of good-fellowship and camaraderie. Cigar dinners provide this."

But what explains the growing number of women cigar smokers? Allan Whitlatch, owner of Lone Star Cigars — the largest cigar retailer in Dallas with more than $1 million in sales a year — says, "We've seen a dramatic increase in women buying cigars. It seems that as women make advances in the corporate world — which was male-dominated for so long — they also experience more stress. They have more disposable income. Now, women seem to be less afraid of embracing typical male pastimes for relaxation, for instance, cigar smoking. I think it's great."

Even amidst anti-smoking pressure, cigar smoking has set itself apart. Some restaurants now promote themselves as havens for lovers of the leaf. For the first time, Zagat restaurant surveys included a listing of cigar-friendly restaurants in its survey. Cigar Aficionado listed close to 1,000 cigar-friendly restaurants in its restaurant guide last year.

And more women are among those diners seeking out restaurants that cater to cigar smokers — particularly women smokers.

Mary White of Seattle attended her first women-only cigar dinner at Lakeside Coastal Grill in Seattle. "I would not go to one that wasn't just for women. I went to a mixed event the night before, and it had a different feel to it," she says. "The food at the women's dinner was lighter, there were wines versus scotch."

The publicity generated by such events has operators smoldering with excitement. "I'm looking at 3 inches of clippings from our women-only cigar dinner," says Wendy Aiello, marketing director of Morton's of Chicago, Inc. "We had calls from England, Japan, even the Soviet News. In all, it was a huge success from a cost, operational and PR standpoint."

Tarek Merhebi of The Holiday Inn French Quarter in Perrysburg, Ohio, regularly hosts cigar dinners for men and women, and has found the events to be good public-relations tools. "This is the third time I've made the local news [with a cigar dinner]. It's a good way to expose the establishment to new clientele, different than what you normally have as guests," he says. His first women-only dinner is scheduled for next month, and it is already 50 percent booked.

In Atlanta, Fariba Todd, co-owner of The Martini Club, uses cigar dinners as fundraising events for a local women's shelter. She has hosted two cigar smokers for women (men are also invited), and each has been successful. "We've raised over $1,000 each time and usually have 200 people attending — 50 percent men, 50 percent women," she says.

Leafing through the possibilities

Before setting cigar to flame, restaurateurs need to make some basic decisions, such as, will the dinner be formal or casual? The price and frequency of the event should dictate the dress code.

Generally, formal events should be held annually or semiannually on a weekend night. Monthly cigar dinners can be held during the week to boost business on a slow night. Set the event charge to attract the audience you want to introduce to your restaurant. Price the event higher than an average per person meal at your restaurant, but not so high that you won't fill the house. If you price an event at $200, you'll attract a select, older crowd with high expectations of the food, service and cigar selection. But if you charge $50 for the dinner, you'll attract younger as well as older patrons.

Dumont's cigar events are theme-related. The most popular dinner featured Winston Churchill's favorite dishes, Churchill-size cigars, and a presentation by an author and authority on Churchill.

Smoke signals

Tell servers to promote the event to women diners. Hand out invitations to male diners and ask them to pass the invitations on to their wives, girlfriends, female colleagues or women friends. Mail invitations to women customers on your mailing list.

And don't forget the avid women cigar smokers. Ask local tobacconists to put up posters advertising the event in their shops and to hand out fliers to women customers. Many operators promote their cigar events by mailing invitations to female patrons of local tobacco shops.

Contact cigar and beverage magazines and ask if they list events. For example, Cigar Aficionado lists cigar events free of charge if information is submitted six months in advance of the event. Also send notices of the event to the newsletters of local women's civic groups.

For its nationwide women-only smoker, held in 28 locations, Morton's sent press kits to every major newspaper and magazine. The company teamed up with spirits, wine and cigar vendors, who helped promote the event. Morton's also mailed elegant invitations to women customers.

The company's return on its promotional investment was huge — every location was sold out and almost half of the units had waiting lists. In total, more than 1,500 women attended the event, smoking close to 5,600 cigars. But the biggest pay off may be still to come. Most of the women who attended the event had never been to a Morton's before, so the company may have earned hundreds of new customers.

Drawing up the menu

When planning the menu for a cigar dinner, remember that the stogie selection — and women diners' menu preferences — should drive food-and-beverage choices. Ask a local tobacconist to help you choose the cigars, and also consider asking the tobacconist to attend the dinner to answer questions about cigars or make recommendations. Often guests at cigar dinners — particularly women — are new at cigar smoking and may appreciate having an expert on hand to acquaint them with the art of cigar smoking.

Three to four cigars are usually served: one during cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, another after the main course, a third offered with an after-dinner cognac or dessert liqueur, and sometimes a fourth cigar given to diners to take home and enjoy. A good rule of thumb is to start off the evening with a milder, smaller cigar and end with a heavier, more time-consuming smoke.

Don't be alarmed if the cigars aren't all smoked during the event. Smoking three or four cigars in one evening is unusual even for the most avid cigar smoker. Some diners may sample a portion of each cigar, others might enjoy one or two in its entirety. Only the most enthusiastic will want to finish off every cigar presented.

Operators shouldn't assume that women only will smoke the smaller, more slender cigars — offer a choice. Mary White would have changed just one thing about the women-only cigar dinner she attended — "I only wished that we were offered a choice of cigars. I prefer the larger ring-size cigars, and the impression is that women like the smaller cigars."

Selecting foods for the cigar dinner can be tricky. One technique is to match the wines to the cigars and then plan the menu around the wines. Although meat is often featured at cigar dinners, consider offering lighter dishes for your women smokers — who, although willing to indulge in a cigar, may not want to indulge in a heavy, high-calorie meal.

The cigars should complement the beverages served. If a light wine is offered, choose a cigar that won't overpower the wine's bouquet. Some examples of pairing cigars with the meal courses are a Panetella cigar to accompany the hors d'oeuvres, a Rothschild after dessert and then perhaps a sturdy Double Churchill with a single-malt whiskey or cognac.

Seegar setup

Many operators choose to close the restaurant for special-event dinners, but if you have a large restaurant with well-delineated rooms and a skillful staff, it's possible to hold an event and still remain open for regular business. If you decide to remain open, use your best-ventilated room for the event.

Seasoned cigar-event planners say that the best setup is one or two large banquet tables so that guests can sit together and discuss the cigars.

A week before the event, schedule a service call for your ventilation system to make sure it is operating at peak performance. Consider renting big, quiet window fans to help remove cigar smoke from the room, or buy, lease or rent smoke-eaters to clean the air. Some operators ask local dry cleaners to give them discount coupons to hand out to diners.

Educate the staff members who will be working the cigar dinner. Hold a staff cigar-tasting and cigar-serving lesson. When scheduling staff and determining the service pace during the event, keep in mind the time it takes to smoke a cigar. Shorter cigars with a smaller ring gauge can be smoked in 15 to 20 minutes, while longer, fatter brands may require more than an hour to finish. Remember that these women are there to relax and enjoy themselves among other women cigar enthusiasts and shouldn't be rushed.

Once the last cigar has been smoked and the guests have left, schedule a janitorial service to come in and shampoo the carpets, wipe the upholstery and air out the drapes.

Lipstick-stained stogies

Hosting cigar dinners will allow you to generate publicity about your restaurant, as well as introduce your operation to new customers. Women cigar smokers who love to dine out are out there ready to puff — all they need is an invitation and a light.

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