How three friends turned a love of fine cigars into their own South Dakota business
Mar. 29—CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. — Cigars are a staple of celebration and reflection.
They are shared with friends or family during some of life's most important events, like the birth of a child, the closing of a big business deal or a wedding. Whatever the significant milestone, cigars have long been symbolic of good times shared with important people.
Jeff Lepkowski, Bob Augspurger and Ted Lepkowski have found that to be true over the course of their years of friendship, and the three recently started their own home business with River City Cigars as a way to expand their beloved hobby while spreading their appreciation for a good stogie.
"We felt like this first year would be a learning curve on how to do it," Jeff Lepkowski told the Mitchell Republic. "We had talked about it for several years, so it was like let's just dive in and do it."
With that, Lepkowski, his brother Ted and childhood friend Augspurger launched River City Cigars in February, with an online website offering wholesale cigar sales in and around the Chamberlain area. The new operation offers a variety of cigars that should appeal to both the longtime and newcomer smoker, and offers options for both shipping and hand delivery.
The venture is an offshoot of a hobby that has grown among them over the years. Lepkowski recalls his father being a casual cigar fan who expanded his interest after he and his siblings had left home. Lepkowski himself became more interested in cigars through his relationship with Augspurger, with whom he grew up playing high school sports and teamed up with to play golf.
They found that enjoying a cigar while on the course was a great way to enhance the already enjoyable experience of hitting the ball around.
"We were golfing and it was relaxing and time away from work. So that was part of the appeal. I liken (cigars) to coffee, there is a taste for certain types of flavors. We were learning a little more about different types of cigars as we were golfing, and it became a hobby," Lepkowski said. "It was a side thing while we were golfing. It keeps your mind off how bad you're playing."
Lepkowski said he learned to enjoy some of the finer points of cigars from Augpurger, who had cultivated his own love of them through experimentation and by researching online webinars and other outlets of information. Augspurger shared his appreciation for the different flavors and tones that can come with different styles and brands, much like a connoisseur appreciates a certain vintage of wine or a coffee lover has an appreciation for a particular blend.
Augspurger agreed there is something special about being outdoors and bonding over a fine cigar.
"It's just a hobby, being outside and enjoying the outdoors," Augspurger said. "I like different tastes. I've come to the point where I can pick out notes in cigars. You sit there and you're thinking about the cigar and what you're tasting."
They enjoyed it so much, they figured they would continue to grow in their hobby by starting a business that would allow them to share their appreciation for those cigars. With the help of Jeff's brother Ted, who lives in Aberdeen, they assembled a business plan to offer fine cigars through online sales or by delivery in the Chamberlain area.
Having enjoyed their own trips to cigar specialty shops and the variety available, they figured it would be a good way to keep active and grow their own knowledge in the field while providing a product that can be hard to come by in rural South Dakota.
"I wouldn't put us in the category of experts, at least not myself, but it's a fun hobby to learn about, and now to learn about what other people like is the adventure. And it's something that we could do to grow the hobby a little bit," Lepkowski said. "It's a good hobby to stay off the couch and keep yourself busy and keep your mind sharp and learn a new thing."
River City Cigars is starting off small, with an online presence the center of attention instead of a brick and mortar storefront. They keep their inventory in a large humidor in a back office room at Augspurger's residence just outside Chamberlain, and they field phone calls for orders personally or through email.
They have a cigar shipping license as well as a wholesaler license, meaning they can sell cigars to other businesses like hunting lodges or hotels who may have interest in them for their hunting and fishing clientele. Setting up shop required learning the ins and outs of government regulations, but even that was an interesting part of the process.
"What we wanted to do after learning a little was to refine it more into this idea of doing it online and starting locally to see how the market is around here," Lepkowski said.
River City Cigars can fill an order to ship, or they can take an order and hand deliver it personally to customers around the Chamberlain area. They also have miniature humidores on hand for businesses that may want to stock their products on site, and also stock accessories like cutters and lighters.
The small nature of the business and the fact that customers are connected directly with one of the three owners when they call allows them to focus on customer service rather than setting sales records. And heading out to make a delivery allows them to connect with other cigar fans, learn their tastes and expand their own knowledge through their customer's preferences.
The Cigar Association of America, a national advocacy group for the cigar industry, itself promotes that kind of experience when it comes to enjoying cigars.
"Cigars are the impetus for people to get together, talk about life, and enjoy each other's company," the organization's website reads, adding that "cigars bring people together for a sense of community and connection."
River City Cigar's inventory is modest, but they keep enough variety on hand to appeal to experts and novices alike. Popular bands like Acid can be found, and other brands like Cohiba, Tatiana and Herrera Esteli are also available. Even the boxes themselves are their own works of art, and some cigar fans collect the labels that adorn different brands.
Exploring new flavors and brands is a part of the fun for cigar smokers, Lepkowski said, citing the Herrera Esteli brand, which he discovered on a trip to a smoke shop in Deadwood, as a favorite.
"It's kind of a medium, but it was a step up for me at the time. And it was just a good experience. We were in a good mood and having a good time and it really added to the experience," Lepkowski said.
Being just around a month old, the business is mostly catering to local cigar smokers as word of mouth grows. Lepkowski and Augspurger handle shipping and delivery in Chamberlain, and Ted Lepkowski keeps a small humidor and stock in Aberdeen for interested customers up north.
They are curious to see how sales go as the busy summer outdoor season, rife with hunters and anglers from all around South Dakota and beyond, gets underway in the coming months. That is a group of potential customers they know may be interested in indulging after a pheasant or deer hunt, or once they get off the water after a successful day of fishing.
"I'm a big hunter myself, so I know that the hunters like to smoke the higher end, which is a reason we stocked Cohibas. And we have other people we work with that have let us know what they like, so we stock those," Augspurger said.
There is room for growth, but Augspurger and the Lepkowskis don't appear to be in any hurry. They're just interested where their growing hobby and business will take them next. The business is a side gig — all three owners have day jobs — but the business is also an extension of their shared love of cigars and the time they themselves spend together.
They're looking forward to continuing that fun through River City Cigars and the cigar fans they meet through it. They realize cigars may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they know what it's like to bond with them over activities, and they think others can enjoy that same experience for themselves.
The River City Cigars website includes an introduction to the three friends.
"We're just three simple Midwestern men who love to fish, hunt, and play golf. We love to travel, yet we have come to appreciate time in our hometown on the Missouri River. We love sharing stories over a good stogie with good friends. We greatly hope you too experience these fine cigars while making memories with the wonderful people in your own lives," the introduction reads.
In short, they enjoy each other's company and enjoy indulging in and talking about the finer points of cigars. And they're looking to help others find that enjoyment for themselves.
All they have to do is reach out.
"The journey has been rewarding enough to keep us saying let's do this next, so we're enjoying this. It's another side of our friendship, too, and it's cool getting to know each other in this way," Lepkowski said. "(Cigars) can heighten any activity or experience, much like cooking different things can add an experience to your meal. I've found that cigars heighten my experience outside with golf and fishing and different activities. It's a personal preference for someone willing to try it, and we're here if you want to explore it."
River City Cigars can be found at
or reached by emailing
or by calling 833-278-6443.
