This story originally appeared in our July 8-21 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.
Thanks for joining me on another trip into the heart of the Queen City. In the last article, we saw how Cincinnati’s creative scene is crushing it with the microseries, Coworking. Today, I want to get back to local business with one of my personal favorites. Creekside Cigars is a business that encapsulates everything that a local business should be. Communal, intentional and with all the hospitality needed to turn perfect strangers into lifelong friends.
The world of cigars is traditionally pretty stuffy. Plenty of three-piece suits and egos to match. That’s likely because cigars, as we know them today, took off just after the American Revolution as fashion statements made by social elites to convey power, affluence and masculinity. This history is wildly evident if you’ve ever paid a visit to a high-end tobacconist. It’s easy to be intimidated by the industry because of its ritzy outer shell, but luckily, the snobby aficionados are only the tip of the iceberg.
If you’ve spent any time in the world of cigars, you know it’s an industry steeped in tradition. Generations of families have labored long and hard to build what we have today. Places like Creekside are moving the needle forward by constantly paying homage to the faces and places who have come before. This lineage traces all the way back to the true genesis of cigars in America at A. Fuente and Co.’s factory in Ybor City — just a hop, skip and a jump across the Sunshine State from where Dave Imber, one of the founding members of Creekside Cigars, would begin writing the industry’s next chapter two centuries later.
The best part about a trip to Creekside Cigars is the care that they put into every inch of the space. Cincinnati was built on these community-oriented spaces, and it’s a thrill to find that heart in a relatively young business. Hospitality like that doesn’t come naturally. It’s a distinct choice that takes time, the right people and good inspiration to achieve.
Imber found his inspiration at Rodriguez Cigars in Key West, Florida. The unassuming exterior of the shop makes it all the more impressive when you realize this humble abode houses some of the finest-made cigars this side of Havana. A younger Imber, relatively green to the world of cigars, stopped in for an evening stick just as they were closing up shop. Not only did they let him explore past closing time, they also gave him an experience that would change his life as he knew it.
For the next three hours, Danny Difabio, owner of Rodriguez Cigars, poured his best rums, lit his best cigars and showed a hospitality he had never experienced to that point. As the two talked about life and lineage in their aging room, it became apparent that cigars were the perfect conversation elixir. Years later, when Imber moved to Cincinnati and set out to leave his own mark on the cigar world, he knew exactly how to go about it.
Some industries pride themselves on their hospitality, while others ignore that critical piece of the puzzle. Cigars have traditionally found themselves in the latter category. This is why the heart behind Creekside Cigars is so substantial.
What’s the secret? A passion for the often overlooked.
Success is in the details, and the team at Creekside personifies this sentiment. In Will Guidara’s book “Unreasonable Hospitality: Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect,” he writes, “Intention means every decision, from the most obviously significant to the seemingly mundane, matters.”
Business loyalty is not simply given. It must be earned through this sort of thoughtful care that separates the average businesses from the all-time greats. Intention is crystal clear at Creekside Cigar Co. From a team that goes far above and beyond to be helpful to a space that is strategically designed to facilitate good conversation, Cincinnatians should be proud to have this space in their own backyard.
Creekside’s tagline, “Smoke In Good Company,” is the perfect reflection of who they are and what they’re about. No pomp. No pretentiousness. Just good folks looking to give their community the best experience possible. Businesses like these are exactly what give Cincinnati a flavor all its own. We’re a proud collective, and spaces like Creekside Cigar Co. make that bond ever stronger. Their heart and passion for caring for the Cincinnati faithful make it plain to see that they are destined to stand the test of time right here in the Queen City
Creekside Cigar Co., which is located at 1381 U.S. Route 22 in Maineville, is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.–11:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday from noon–9 p.m., according to the company’s website.
This article appears in July 8-21, 2026.