Nestled in Vancouver’s financial district, 2000 Cigars is an authorized Habanos Specialist that has been in operation since 1999. Gregory Pinch and Tatiana Torres Toro bought the place in June of 2020 – an interesting time as Covid was shutting everything down. While most of us would have found those circumstances daunting, Gregory had a positive attitude saying “I was excited and happy to have my dream come true, I was the owner of a cigar store! I was not stressed, as I figured if it flopped, I would have some great cigars to smoke!” They took advantage of the Covid “slowdown” to renovate and reinvigorate the store and reopened it in August of 2020.
While 2000 Cigars gets many of its clients from the surrounding financial district, the store is also popular with the many tourists who come to town. Vancouver is a beautiful city, and its ideal coastal location makes it a popular port of call for international cruise ships. Along withwalk-in clients, Gregory also sells his cigars online noting “we have customers from the Yukon to Newfoundland, and everywhere in between.”
Canadian cigar stores need all the clients they can get these days because like all tobacconists in the country, 2000 Cigars has had to cope withthe Federal Government’s plain packaging regulations forcing all cigars to be sold in olive-drab coloured cardboard boxes. Gregory says his clients “find the plain packaging ridiculous, and the price increases sad, however they do understand the issues faced worldwide with transportation and manufacturing costs increasing.” Despite the obstacles imposed by the government, 2000 Cigars manages to feature an excellent selection of Cuban and non-Cuban cigars in a deluxe walk-in humidor and all the necessary accoutrements, as well as a beautiful assortment of pipes and tobaccos.
Gregory has been enjoying quality cigars for some time but says his first cigar, smoked as a teen was less auspicious. Like so many of us, Gregory’s first cigar was a rum-tipped Colt. Smoked on occasion by many of our cigarette smoking dads, back in the day, when they felt like treating themselves, these plastic tipped, machine made cigars were something of a gateway drug that led to bigger and better (and much more expensive) things. In Gregory’s case the passion for cigars lay dormant for some time, but he has now been enjoying them for over 20 years and is lucky enough to be able to indulge regularly. He says he enjoys “the social aspect of cigar smoking, the culture and relaxation you feel when you are enjoying a stick.”
Along with managing the store, Gregory also finds the time to maintain a very active Instagram account. Hardly a day goes by without a new post showing the cigar he’s enjoying at the moment, whether in front of a picturesque Vancouver scene, or from his travels abroad. And when he’s home, he doesn’t let the brisk Canadian winter months slow him down either, as hisInstagram will often show the smoke of the day in his gloved hand (usually along with a takeout Tim Hortons tea) as he takes his cigar out for a walk.
Gregory and Tatiana are very nice people which I can call my friends….excellent service and very friendly!
Cheers
I’ve been doing business with Gregory and Tatiana for only 3 months now . Previously I’ve been buying my cigars from Belgium and Switzerland with mixed results and long waits. So I started looking around . Gregory is a gentleman and does what he says he’s going to do . Shipments are quick and on time , unlike the others . I’d rather do business with people like that . Tatiana writes the cigar reviews and tasting , she’s very good at it so you have a good idea of what your getting . Hopefully Cuba’s output will be better this year after Covid and the hurricane so there will be better selection . Do your self a favor