A new crop of cigar lounges could be coming to the Atlanta suburb of Roswell after the city council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would create a new definition in the city code for cigar lounges, which would allow them to apply for an on-site alcohol consumption.

In order to qualify as a cigar lounge, an establishment must be a retail establishment that derives over 51 percent of its total gross sales from handmade cigars and more than 70 percent of its total gross sales from handmade cigars and other cigar related products. They would be prohibited from selling or allowing the use of vape products, including electronic smoking devices, component parts or e-liquids; cigarettes, unrolled tobacco, hookah products or machine rolled tobacco products.

To allow for on-premises alcohol consumption, the lounge would also need to have a maximum capacity of 40 persons, must be located more than 100 yards from another cigar lounge, must have a filtration system exceeding 98 percent efficiency and must meet all the state’s requirements regarding indoor smoking. Additionally, they would need to be subject to the same operating hours as liquor stores and would need to be a minimum distance from residentially zoned areas.

The ordinance is currently slated for a second reading and vote on March 9, and if approved and signed into law, would go into effect immediately.

Roswell is home to approximately 95,000 residents and is located just over 20 miles north of downtown Atlanta.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.