A BOLD move: Cigar bar and lounge opens in GR Friday (14 March 2020, for {EMAIL})

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — While many schools closed Friday over concerns about coronavirus, BOLD Cigar bar and lounge celebrated its grand opening in Grand Rapids. “I believe in God — I think my lord and savior has a plan. So I’m going to be OK, the people in here are going to be OK. I have no fear of that stuff. I pray for this country, so I think we’re going to be fine,” said owner Al Casimiro. “It’s sad that this is happening, but again, I think we’re going to be OK. I’m not worried about that, honestly.” PROMISE TO A HERO REALIZED Casimiro’s love of cigars started early. “I’ve been smoking cigars since I was 8 years old. I got into cigars by hiding them from my (dad) — stealing his and smoking them. And one day he caught me and made me smoke one on my own because I lied to him. And I think he wanted me to choke up, but I didn’t. And when I didn’t, he says ‘Well, we can smoke a cigar together any day. And then from there, I’ve just been smoking cigars forever in my life,” he said. That lifelong love led Caisimiro to Grand River Cigar Bar at 144 E. Fulton St. “It was a great place, great people,” he said. “I enjoyed smoking here, I smoked here forever since they opened, for eight years. And it was a great place to smoke. I loved it. I really don’t know what happened. One day, the doors were closed.” Caisimiro, who already owns several businesses, immediately knew what to do. “As soon as the doors closed I said, ‘I’ve got to open these doors back up. So I did,” he said. Two months later, the only cigar bar and lounge of its kind in Grand Rapids is opening to the public, with a name that’s a nod to the man whom Casimiro shared his most memorable smoke. (A welcome mat touting BOLD cigar bar and lounge's new name welcomes visitors to the business on E. Fulton Street and Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) “When I said goodbye to my dad, I smoked an actual bold cigar, and it was called BOLD. He had a humidor and his cigars were just old, but I smoked a BOLD cigar with him. I said if I ever had a cigar joint, it would be called BOLD,” Caisimiro said, holding back tears. “My pop passed away in 2001,” he added. “My pop was my hero. Not too many people can say that; he was mine. He taught me to be a man and he taught me what it meant to win. And one of those things that I always say, I use it today: winners don’t know how to lose.” CREATING A 'WOW MOMENT' INSIDE BOLD CIGAR That tenacity can be seen throughout BOLD Cigar bar and lounge. Everything is new: floors, bathrooms, bar, lighting, furnishings, shelving and a ventilation system that filters out the cigar smoke. “I like to kind of go over the top when I do things, so I did. I kind of went over the top here. It’s really what I want. I mean I wanted a classier place, a dressier place,” Caisimiro said. (A March 12, 2020 photo shows the inside of BOLD Cigar bar and lounge on E. Fulton Street near Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) He says a group of eight friends and his wife helped him “turned this thing upside-down” in a month. “The fireplace is new, everything is new. Anybody that’s been at this address before when it was a cigar bar, they come here now, they’re going to have a ‘wow’ moment, and that’s what I want. Anybody who walks through that door that has been in a cigar place, I really want them to have that moment,” he added. They also revamped the walk-in cedar-lined humidor, adding a new humidification system, shelving and fresh doors and lighting. (A March 12, 2020 photo shows boxes of cigars shelved inside the walk-in humidor at BOLD Cigar bar and lounge on E. Fulton Street near Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) BOLD Cigar staff will escort customers into the walk-in humidor to help them pick out their cigar of choice from the 40 to 50 varieties available. The shelves are filled with about 150 boxes of Rocky Patel cigars from Nicaragua, ranging from mild to bold and $5 to $30 each. Casimiro also plans to add some Drew Estate and Kristoff brand cigars to the collection. BOLD Cigar employees also plan to show customers how to cut and properly torch their cigar. (A March 12, 2020 photo shows boxes of cigars shelved inside the walk-in humidor at BOLD Cigar bar and lounge on E. Fulton Street near Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) BOLD Cigar also expects to obtain a liquor license within the next month. Casimiro plans to stock the bar with bourbons, scotches, vodkas and gins with plans for specialized drinks and cigar pairings. “I love smoked drinks, so we’re going to do a lot of that,” he said. (A March 12, 2020 photo shows the inside of BOLD Cigar bar and lounge on E. Fulton Street near Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) Blues music will be piped into BOLD Cigar at all times with live acts likely on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. BUILDING ON THE BURNING INTEREST The lounge can fit 49 people. Casimiro already has plans to double that capacity by adding a VIP lounge next door within the next six months. (A March 13, 2020 photo shows the outside of BOLD Cigar bar and lounge on E. Fulton Street near Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) “It’s going to have its own bar, its own lounge, it’s going to be set up for business-type stuff during the day and in the evening. I mean, it’s going to be pretty cool. I have some really awesome ideas. When you see what we’ve done here, it’s going to be three times better over there,” he said. Casimiro said interest in cigars has increased and plenty of people have been “pounding on the doors to get in,” including a lot of young people. “I think really just the relaxation. Even the young people need that time. You know, they’re in school, they come here. I’ve seen people, I’ve smoked with people, these kids that come in. They just, they’re studying hard they come in for a relaxing conversation and they smoke a cigar,” he said. (A March 12, 2020 photo shows the inside of BOLD Cigar bar and lounge on E. Fulton Street near Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids.) He said some people have even tried making reservations for next weekend. “I was surprised by that. You know, I believe in God and I believe it’s a blessing. I’m doing what he wants me to do and it’s working out,” he said. “Maybe at some point you might need reservations I mean if that’s the case, wow. But just come on in. You don’t need reservations. We’ve got a seat for everybody.” BOLD Cigar’s grand opening started at 3 p.m. Friday. The cigar bar and lounge will be open Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. until midnight. Casimiro says when the liquor license is approved, BOLD will extend its hours until 2 a.m. on those days. 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