Industry Cigars Website www.bloomcigar.com Type Privately held company | Area served South Side, Pittsburgh Revenue 250.5 million USD | |
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Owner Marc Adams ( original teletubby) Headquarters Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Founded Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Profiles | ||
The Bloom Cigar Company is an iconic and internationally known Pittsburgh-based premium cigar store. Founded in 1955, Bloom Cigar Company is the Pittsburgh area's largest retail and wholesale distributor of cigars. A weekly informal gathering of cigar aficionados and a unique ambiance contribute to its reputation.
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History
The history of Bloom Cigar Company dates to the 1920s, when it was operated by the great uncle of the current owner, Marc Adams, who has run the store in its current incarnation since 1955. Bloom Cigar Company is now the largest wholesale and retail cigar store in Pittsburgh, supplying cigars online and at the South Side location. Bloom Cigar is the cigar supplier for Primanti Brothers, famous for their unique Pittsburgh-style sandwiches.
The interior of the store creates a unique ambiance; the walls are lined with photos of famous cigar smokers, including Terry Bradshaw and Art Rooney, and dozens of bras donated by female customers in exchange for a free cigar hang from the ceiling
Cigar Camp
In the early 1990s, Adams turned an ad hoc group of cigar connoisseurs that gathered at the store on Saturday mornings into "Cigar Camp," described as a "safe haven" for Pittsburgh's cigar lovers. Cigar Camp has developed a cult status, growing by word of mouth and attracting regulars and out of towners. Adams estimates that 30-40 men attend "Cigar Camp" at any time, with 150 attending throughout the day. Bloom Cigar purchased the adjacent building to expand Cigar Camp and added a large-screen television and other amenities. The modifications expanded the humidor by 66% and displaced some of the original lounging area that had been reserved for Cigar Camp, riling some of Bloom's regular customers. "Cigar Camp" is a registered trademark.
Notoriety
The Pennsylvania Attorney General, in his investigation centering on the 2006 Pennsylvania General Assembly bonus controversy, discovered that former employees of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus rented an office above Bloom Cigar to create a phony job for a staffer's mistress, who was then a 21-year-old former legislative intern and graduate student. The grand jury's presentment described the office as "dingy" and was "used as a cigar-smoking spot by individuals who came up from the cigar store." Marc Adams is a friend of former Pennsylvania House Majority whip Mike Veon, who has been charged by the Attorney General in connection to the 2006 legislative bonus investigation. Adams has not been accused of any wrongdoing and was "shocked" after learning about charges against Veon.
The store was used to film scenes in the feature film 10th & Wolf, about a Philadelphia mob war that was filmed in Pittsburgh. Owner Marc Adams has spoken out in the media against the now-repealed Allegheny County smoking ban and in favor of the new Pittsburgh Police public urination patrols in the South Side area.