Commack Resident Takes Over Cigar Shop

After having worked at Port Jefferson's Smoke Signals since 2006, Commack resident Joe Curio took over as the new owner in October of 2012. Since then Curio, who has a marketing degree from James Madison University, said he has redone "pretty much the entire thing" - including the name, which has been chaned to "Flame Fine Cigars and Smoking Lounge."

"We redid the floors, we repainted everything, got new furniture, moved things around, moved the counters," he said. "We pretty much gave it a giant facelift, and we’ve still got a little more to do."

Flame features an outdoor patio, a lounge that can accommodate 40 to 50 guests, flat-screen TVs, and a bar setting (Curio doesn't serve alcohol, but members can bring their own). The lounge works on a membership system, with membership prices ranging from $49.99 a month to a corporate membership at $199.99 a month. At the retail store in the front, Flame sells not only cigars but also accessories – such as bag clips that hold cigars while a golfer is on the green. Golf, Curio said, is one hobby that intersects with cigar smoking; others include cooking and the enjoyment of fine spirits.

After he took over, Curio said there was one immediate challenge to get past: Hurricane Sandy, which hit six days after the shop changed hands.

"There was no power, no heat," Curio said, "so we had a hurricane party. No lights, no heat, nothing, so I said 'Let’s have a barbeque.' It was pitch black in the lounge and all of a sudden at 3 p.m. the lights came back on."

Right now, the store has about 2,000 cigars in stock – and that's not even at half of its capacity. In preparation for the busy season down port, Curio said he will fill it to capacity of about 5,000 cigars within the coming weeks.

People's passion for cigars and the camaraderie between cigar aficionados are what keeps the business exciting for Curio and for his customers.

"It’s not so much about the cigar, but it’s a conversation piece for us," he said. "It’s one common element that brings everyone together."