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Metropolitan Cigars - Ybor City
Metropolitan Cigars on 7th Avenue, in the historic Ybor City
section of Tampa, Florida features one of the world's largest
walk-in humidors with a history dating back to the turn of the
20th century. Two wonderful discoveries in cigars were made on
the recommendation of owner Sam Capitano.
Metropolitan Cigars has quite an interesting history that
follows the development of Ybor City into the cigar capitol of
the world in the early 1900's. The atmosphere of Ybor City
demands attention. Brick lined streets overlooked by black
wrought iron balconies, shops featuring hand made treasures, and
cuisine of Cuban and Italian decent topped off with Cuban coffee
and café con leche are everywhere.
At the turning of the 20th Century, Ybor City's population was
made up of mostly Spanish, Cuban, and Italian immigrants. Tampa
was no more than a mosquito-ridden fishing village of some 700
people when Vicente Martinez Ybor, a cigar manufacturer and
Cuban exile, came to Tampa to establish his factory.
Before long, the population of immigrants swelled to 30,000 and
contributed to making Tampa the cigar capital of the world.
Francisco Capitano and Company were famous manufacturers of
"high grade Havana cigars" in the early years. Events leading to
the Spanish-American War in 1898 led to increased world
attention on this growing metropolis.
The cigar workers of Ybor City responded to Jose Marti's plea
for men, money, and arms for the insurgents who opposed Spain's
rule over Cuba. In 1898, thousands of U.S. troops arrived in the
Tampa staging area as Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders prepared
for military operations in the Spanish-American war. At the
culmination of the war, the population of Tampa once again
thrived.
After numerous successful years in the tobacco business, James
Capitano, son of Francisco, decided to take the family in a
different direction. In 1933 he opened the Metropolitan
Pharmacy--named in honor of the $900 loan taken out of his
Metropolitan Life insurance policy. The present Metropolitan
Cigar Shop grew directly from the Metropolitan Pharmacy. The
shop prospered during the era of World War II when the shipyards
at the Port of Tampa operated 24 hours a day.
James Capitano's success was based in part by the expansion of
the pharmacy's
stock to include lunch boxes for the shipyard
workers, whisky and alarm clocks - along with an extensive
selection of fine local cigars.
Sam "Sonny" Capitano, Owner - Metropolitan Cigars
After thriving for half a century, the cigar industry abruptly
fell victim to the automated machine-made cigar. Many of the big
Ybor City cigar factories closed and only a few small operators
kept the art of hand rolling cigars alive. A centuries old craft
was nearly lost. However, the Metropolitan Pharmacy remained.
This isn't the end of Metropolitan's story. Fast forward to the
21st century and discover a newly vibrant Ybor City - a
renaissance based on its designation as a Historical District.
The festive atmosphere of restaurants and clubs attract diners
and dancers every evening. Cigars have made their way from the
back room in this century too. Sonny Capitano closed the doors
of the Metropolitan Pharmacy in 1992 to open a successful cigar
shop inside the historic Columbia Restaurant. Five years later,
Sonny found himself establishing another shop - the Metropolitan
Cigar Shop of today on Seventh Avenue.
I asked Sam for a couple of cigar recommendations. My first
request was for an inexpensive bundled smoke of medium body. He
directed me to a bundle of 20 - "Cuban Leaf, Rare Connecticut
Habano Torpedos" for $24. That's $1.20 per stick! I have to
admit, I was skeptical at that low a price that they would be
any good, but I bought them anyway. What a pleasant surprise!
They were a steal. He then directed me to his own brand of "Don
Capitano Maduro Torpedos" for $7.00. They were excellent!
If you are going to be in Tampa, be sure to visit Metropolitan
Cigars, 2014 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605. 813-248-3304 or
800-607-3304, and tell them Kevin from Cigar review sent you.
Visit their web site at http://www.metropolitancigars.com.
Find more information about premium cigars on http://www.cigar-review.com
About the author:
Kevin Godbee is the editor and publisher of http://www.cigar-review.com, a web site dedicated to cigars and all the things that go
along with them including fine food and drink as well as the
gorgeous women who smoke cigars.
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