Creating ambience

Cigar shop focus is on fine Fuente

SW/SE/VIEW--Michael Frey owner of new Cigar bar 'Fuente' , enjoys one of the many Cigars that his store sells. Friday, May 13,2005--View photo by shelly donahue SW/SE/VIEW--A selection of cigars at new Cigar lounge 'Fuente' located at the Forum shops in Caeser's Palace. Friday, May 13,2005--View photo by shelly donahue Advertisement

Even if a person doesn't like to smoke the fine Fuente tobaccos sold at Casa Fuente inside The Forum Shops at Caesars expansion, the patio is arguably perfect for people-watching.

Michael Frey, owner of Casa Fuente, the only cigar shop in the world that bears the Fuente name and offers cigars made only by the manufacturer, knows what it takes to make a smoke shop a hot spot. The 50,000 people per day that visit the Forum are not the only customers he's looking to serve.

"Most will be tourists," Frey said. "But a lot of locals that come to eat at BOA (Steakhouse) or Spago will come here after dinner."

It's 10:30 a.m. and Frey is puffing on a Cuesta Rey cigar, one of the brands made through a partnership between Fuente and another cigar maker. It's never too early or too late for a good smoke -- that's the vibe he's giving to the passersby that veer off to his shop on the way down the escalator.

The interior of the location is modeled after the El Floridita, a bar in Havana known as the birthplace of the daiquiri.

"It was also one of Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering holes," Frey said.

A dramatic entryway with deep earth tones seems to make Casa Fuente a fitting place for people to lounge.

The store's room-sized humidor, with iron gates in front of its premium selections, gives cigar shoppers 130 different varieties to choose from.

"Opus X is Fuente's signature cigar," Frey said. "This case will also feature the Casa Fuente, a cigar blended especially for the store."

Only visitors to the shop will be able to purchase a cigar. No Internet sales or shipping orders will be taken.

But customers probably wouldn't want to miss the atmosphere of Casa Fuente anyway, according to Frey.

"We have about 400 various Latin tunes playing at a given time," he said. "The whole thing is about creating ambience. We're bringing a piece of Havana to Las Vegas."

For those who don't smoke, Casa Fuente hosts a bar with exotic drinks such as the Mojito, a Cuban rum concoction with lime and mint, as well as a similar Brazilian drink, the Caipirinha. The bar also offers Hemingway's Epitaph, a rum drink served with bitters, ginger ale, mint and lemon.

Drinks are made with premium alcohol and whipped up by a mixologist from Southern Wine & Spirits. The menu also serves scotch and port.

"We also have really good sangria," Frey said. "We tried to think of drinks that mix well with cigars."

Deciding to open a cigar shop in an expensive retail space might seem ambitious. But Frey, who has six other cigar shops across the valley in other casinos such as the Monte Carlo and the Rio, has already seen repeat business since he opened a month ago.

"We have one executive who used to come into our other location," he said. "He was here the first eight nights in a row that we were open. And they put 50,000 people per day in front of our door. It's nice to say you have a shop in the most visible shopping area in the world."

Casa Fuente is open from 10 a.m. until midnight daily.