Pittsburg Cigar Company

Take it slow.

 Life is loud. Moves fast. 

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Don’t you just wanna chill sometimes? Dave Looby does, and he wants you to join him. 

Looby is the owner of the new Pittsburg Cigar Company at 210 S. Broadway in Downtown Pittsburg. It’s a place to enjoy a nice stogie, sure … but it’s also just a comfy spot to sit down and relax for a minute.

“I’ve always liked the concept of a ‘third place’ … somewhere that’s not home and it’s not work,” he said. “Cigar shops have been that place for me. A place to just relax. My goal for this place is that it becomes a place where people come to sit, take their time, slow down, and enjoy each other’s company.”

Looby, who recently retired from his role as Executive Director of Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said he enjoys how cigars “naturally slow the pace” of life. It’s a lesson he learned in his native Minnesota, the place he called home until coming this way in 2021. 

“I ran a chamber of commerce for 10 years and a visitors bureau for 13, so I lived a very busy life,” he said. “There was always something going on, always another meeting or obligation. Over time, I learned the value of slowing down and being more deliberate.

“I found that if I could get the chief of police, the county sheriff, or one of my legislators to sit down with me over a cigar — and several of them did smoke — I could keep them there for an hour or even an hour and a half. A cigar naturally slows the pace.”

With both indoor and outdoor seating spots, the Pittsburg Cigar Company offers plenty of space for any occasion. 

“It’s really for anybody,” Looby said. “I’m sure we’ll have people who come in for special occasions — maybe a group stopping by for a bachelor party to enjoy a cigar together before heading out for the night. Others might come in once a quarter to pick something up to take home. Some will visit once a month, most weekends, or several times in one week, whether they’re local, traveling, or in town for work.”

There will also be a special membership opportunity for frequent guests.

“We do have lockers available for people who want to become locker members through our Executive Gorilla Club,” he said. “A locker membership is purchased annually and gives members a personal space to store their cigars. Members can buy cigars, keep them in their locker, and then simply grab one when they come in — no need for a transaction every single visit. It also makes it easy to share a cigar with a friend.”

Looby, who spent much of his life in the hustle and bustle of Minneapolis, said he enjoyed Pittsburg from the moment he arrived. And when the time came to retire and enjoy the good life, he knew where he wanted to be.

“After being here about a year,” he said, “I started asking myself what I wanted to do when I retired. I knew one thing for sure … I liked it here, and I wanted to stay. I decided that if I was going to keep working hard, I might as well work for myself. I didn’t want to just be idle. I wanted to build something.

“This is a great place to do that. It’s centrally located, so within a day’s drive I can visit most of my friends around the country. It’s also easy for people to get here. I’ve already had a lot of friends and family come to visit, and I’ve enjoyed showing them around and sharing everything this area has to offer. I’ve truly enjoyed being here.”

And if he’s going to be here, he wants to be part of the continued growth and development downtown and throughout the community.

“I’ve done a lot of different things over the years, but one constant has been that I’ve always been a hard worker,” he said. “When I started thinking about retirement, I realized I still wanted that same level of engagement. I plan to remain active in the community, including joining the local Chamber of Commerce and staying involved as time permits alongside the demands of the business. A sense of community is very important to me, and that’s something I fully intend to keep going.”