The Tobacco Center & Cafe: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

When you deal with an entrepreneur, spontaneous combustion occurs frequently in the form of business ideas. When Dan Sawalhi opened the Tobacco Center & Café on E. Joppa Rd. more than 10 years ago, his initial plan for the shop was different than what a visitor will see today.

According to Sawalhi, the plan was to use a portion of the space to sell cigars, hookahs and accessories and to reserve a portion of the space for cigar aficionados to meet and relax. Almost immediately the latter took over and he needed more space, then more still. Today the Tobacco Center has become a gathering place … sort of a "Cheers" with cigars and hookahs instead of beer.

Inside you’ll find a cavalcade of people: men in suits, guys dressed in baseball uniforms who have come straight from a game or a husband and wife kicking back to watch a game on a big-screen TV. Some are enjoying a cigar from the Tobacco Center’s walk-in humidor, others share a hookah and a cup of tea.

It’s all very low-key, and that’s how Sawalhi likes it. While the original aim was to sell a product and provide space for customers to meet and swap stories, Sawalhi learned quickly that his shop would evolve into something quite different.

“There’s nowhere to relax and meet people for those who don’t like going to a bar,” he said. The Tobacco Center filled a void from the start, according to Sawalhi.

“It just took off, and we had to expand the space to fit more people in.” He added more table space and brought in comfortable seating from Jordan.

Customers greet Sawalhi as they come in, and they check in to say goodbye before they leave. There’s a lot of chat and laughter in between the comings and goings. The aim is to make sure people feel at home and welcome when they walk through the door.

While people can spend some time with like-minded people, they can also come in and buy their favorite brands to take home or ask for a recommendation from the staff. Part of the business is explaining the art of cigar making to customers. In a lot of ways, said Sawalhi, his business is like a winery. “Like wine, aging brings out the flavor.”

And there’s an art to making the product. More than 200 hands are involved with making a single cigar when one considers planting, tending and the actual process of creating a cigar, Sawalhi explained.

When the final process is complete, it is adorned with a specially designed band reminiscent of album cover art. Great pride is taken in creating the boxes and bands. The wrapper that contains a single cigar, he added, is not made of cellophane as many people think, given its clear appearance. “The wrapper is made out of cedar,” according to Sawalhi.

The Tobacco Center has hosted movie nights, quiet jazz evenings and special events. At 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, belly dancers take to the floor to entertain in a traditional, family-friendly style. Sawalhi said he brings his wife and daughters (his sons’ wives) in to watch the performances. 

It’s important that the Tobacco Center remains family friendly, he said. To that end, if he leaves, he knows one of his three sons will take over, and the regulars will watch out to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Oddly, Sawalhi wasn’t a smoker when he opened his business. His background is in fashion design—swimwear, high fashion and evening wear. Then, he said, he kept a sign on his door to let people know smoking was not allowed in his office. Nowadays, it's just the opposite.

Most days, he’s in at 11 a.m., and he closes up at midnight—again, not the original plan. His initial thought was to keep regular business hours, but when it became obvious that people sought out the Tobacco Center as a gathering spot to wind down after a long day, he changed the plan. He loves what it has evolved into, and he’s obviously in his element as he mingles with customers he considers friends.

Although all three of his sons work in the various business ventures with him, Sawalhi puts in long, but rewarding, hours. “My wife says I should change the address on my driver’s license to this address,” he smiled.

FYI: Tobacco Center & Café, 1838 E. Joppa Rd.; 410-661-1399

Hours: Mon.-Thur. 10 a.m.-midnight; Fri., Sat., 10.a.m.-2 a.m.

Second location at 1754 Merritt Blvd.; 410-284-4275