Burlingame Tobacconist: A cigar oasis

He grew up with a furniture store merchant and avid cigar-smoker father who imbued him both with “a loving for retail ... and the passion for premium cigars.”

“When I was a young man, occasionally smoking, I would send one to him and we would smoke it and talk on the phone,” Gross said. “That was our bonding.”

The shop sells premium cigars from anywhere between $12 to $148, as well as pipe tobacco, and is known for its licensed distribution status for exclusive Davidoff cigars. The Tobacconist also offers membership options for clients, on-site cigar lockers and cigar accessories for sale.

As the Tobacconist’s owner, Gross now has the opportunity to play a role in the moments of magnitude that cigars can mark.

“I get fathers and sons — and daughters, too, not to generalize — but I do get a lot of graduations, Father’s Days, holidays, obviously Christmas was a big one,” he said, noting that cigar sales will spike around 30% during graduation season as part of a celebratory tradition for graduates. “Wedding, bachelor party, bachelorette party or graduation.”

Cigars have a distinct social connotation, either when purchased for events or enjoyed at the lounge, Gross said.

“No one buys one cigar,” he said. “They buy two, in anticipation of smoking it with someone. Or they buy four, or they buy a box. I love that, because my clients are always buying cigars for each other.”

The Burlingame Tobacconist has amassed a loyal clientele of around 5,000 individuals, Gross said. Around half are local Peninsula residents and half are travelers, passing through the area while waiting for a flight.

“They’re in town three nights and they find me on the first night so I’ll see him three nights in a row, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “And then they buy cigars and take home with them and they’ll say ‘I’ll see you on my next trip.’”

Longtime visitor and Burlingame-turned-San Bruno resident Allen Hua has been coming to the Tobacconist for more than 10 years.

“It’s really about the community, the people you meet here, the conversations you have here,” he said. “That’s what makes me keep coming back.”

Around 80% of Hua’s network has been established or originated from the shop, and he tries to visit as much as he can.

“It’s a community, it’s like a living room. It’s a common living room for a lot of people,” Hua said.

For some clients, a portion of who visit the shop to conduct business, meet with friends or try new cigars every day, the Tobacconist has truly become a social network.

“It forces them to get out, stay active, stay social, have a network,” Gross said. “You’d be surprised how many fall in that category of my clientele. With 5,000 clients, there’s going to be dozens of them. ... They’re precious to me. Especially the older generations who served in some of these crazy wars. I mean, they’re our gems of society.”

Potential ordinances

The California Clean Indoor Air Law prohibits smoking in most indoor spaces — with exemptions for private smokers’ lounges or wholesale tobacco retailers like the Burlingame Tobacconist — but it does not specifically regulate outdoor smoking, which the Burlingame City Council banned in public places in November 2023. The City Council also exempted hookah from the smoking ban in two Burlingame locations in November 2023, a decision that drew strong opinions from residents both for and against.

Gross emphasized the difference in cigar smoking from cigarettes, vaping, hookah, weed and associated paraphernalia — “you’re not really inhaling it, it’s about taste. It mostly gets compared to wine,” — and said recent ordinances have little negative impact on his business.

“If they want to ban smoking on the street, that’s fine. That’s why I have my door closed,” he said, noting that the high-quality ventilation system at the Tobacconist retains a pleasant experience for visitors. “In the past, the door was open and if smoke waved out, no one complained. [Now], with my door closed and all the smoke being ventilated off the roof, no one complains.”

The conversation around smoking actually caused a traceable positive spike in his business, Gross said. Why?

“Because 5,000 customers took offense, that’s why,” he said. “I didn’t take offense. I’m focused on providing a great atmosphere and a great experience when you walk through here. Everyone gets treated the same, has a great time.”

Keeping up with the times, but preserving tradition

When Gross took over ownership, he made the store more contemporary, bringing it “into the standards of Burlingame Avenue” to preserve tradition while meeting up-to-date regulation and interest. Aside from creating this unplugged and connected atmosphere for clients, Gross also sells cigars wholesale to seven golf courses, which is an important aspect of his business revenue.

Ultimately, he’s interested in curating cigar experiences for a inclusive range of people and places.

“This is really about maintaining a great tradition. Like fine wine, a fine cigar,” Gross said.