I am inside the Charles the Great building, former home of the Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory and now home of the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company. I am sitting with Arturo Fuente II, Arturo Fuente III and Kristin Fuente, three generations of the Fuente family.

Arturo Fuente III is back in his old roots of Ybor City, the city that witnessed the second rise of his grandfather Arturo Fuente I, the man that started it all. It was in Ybor City that Arturo Fuente I found fortune on owning his own cigar company. Arturo I left Cuba when he was fourteen years old in 1902 and worked in Key West as a cigar maker until 1910, when he moved to Tampa and continued to work there as a cigar maker. His first attempt at owning his own cigar company materialized in West Tampa in 1912, when he opened Arturo Fuente Cigar & Company. This journey ended in 1924 when the building burned down and he was forced to scale back his plans and work for other cigar makers. However, Arturo I was not known to give up easily.

It was in Ybor City that Arturo I started his second journey as he rose again and began to sell his own hand-made cigars from his home in the mid 40’s and founded the Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory. By this time, he had taught his sons Arturo II and Carlos the art of cigar making and the two were instrumental in helping him build the business. Arturo II recalls having to make up to 50 cigars after getting home from school before he could go out and play: “sometimes I did not feel like doing it, but I had to or you know what?” he says with the smile, referring to the punishment that awaited him if he did not comply. By the early 1960’s the companyhad outgrown Arturo’s home and it was moved to a two-story building. Then, a few years later it was moved again to this building – the Charles the Great building. The building was built in 1895 and was the former home of the “Charles the Great” cigar brand.

On February 11, 1973, Arturo Fuente I, master cigar maker, died, leaving the future of the Fuente cigar name in the hands of Arturo II and Carlos. In the 1980’s, Carlos Fuente Sr., having been president since the late 1950’s, moved the handmade operation to the Dominican Republic and changed the company name to Tabacalera* A. Fuente y Cia. Today, Carlito Fuente Jr., runs the entire operation of Tabacalera A. Fuente in Santiago, Dominican Republic. 

In December 1994, Arturo Fuente II retired from the Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory and opened the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company in this building. He came back to the Charles the Great Building in Ybor City, the place that witnessed the dream of his father come true. This area is more than just a place to live for him: “I was raised in Tampa…and there is nothing better than Tampa…when I leave Tampa on vacation, I can’t wait to get back home.”

In 1997, after Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company had experienced significant growth, Arturo II asked his son Arturo III to help him with the business. Arturo III, who was the first member of the Fuente family to graduate from college, had experienced a successful career as a Mechanical Engineer, working for General Electric and Lockheed Martin in the engineering and manufacturing areas. However, when his father called, he felt it was time to return to his family’s roots in the Fuente cigar business. He said “I really never left; it was always part of me.”

Arturo Fuente III is now the current president of Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company and Arturo II has semi-retired. Arturo III is very proud of what the store represents in the context of his family heritage: “I am very proud of running the company…I am very fortunate that our family is in the cigar business, it will be 100 years in 2012 [Arturo I opened the first store in 1912].” Arturo III does not have to go very far to see his family’s legacy at work; he can see it (literally) in his daughter Kristin Fuente, who has chosen to follow in his footsteps.

Kristin graduated from college, earning a bachelor degree in MIS and a dual Master degree in MIS and Business Administration. After graduating, she consulted with Arturo III about whether or not to work in the family business: “…I decided I could use what I learned at USF [University of South Florida] and apply it to this business.” While working on her MBA, Kristin and some classmates prepared a marketing, financial and operational strategy for the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company. Kristin was able to implement the plan, which has resulted in a fully automated Network and Point of Sales system. She is currently VP of Finance and MIS for Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company. When Kristin finds time, she likes to roll cigars for her own consumption.

As I sit with the Fuente family, I see three generations held together by more than cigars; they are held together by what a cigar represents. Smoking a cigar, just like drinking a great glass of wine, forces us to slow down, converse and reflect about our lives. As Arturo III stated, “cigars are an enjoyment…[it] is a nice peaceful time…nowadays we are all busy, we got e-mail and cell phones…we are getting bombarded by communication…one thing that cigar brings is…conversation.”

Today, the three generations of the Fuente family hold the legacy that Arturo I passed down to them in their fingers (literally) as they enjoy their favorite Fuente cigar:

Arturo II: cannot choose a favorite; likes to smoke all Fuente cigars, but if forced he would choose the Flor Fina 858, a blend made to honor Arturo I.

Arturo III: Don Carlos Robusto and his second choice is the Flor de Ybor City Belicoso in sun grown wrapper (5 ½ x 49”).

Kristin: Hemingway Between the Lines (produced only during Christmas) and her second choice is Hemingway Signature.

*Tabacalera means cigar factory in Spanish.