La Casa del Habano Partagás Suspends Activity – Cigar Journal
One of the world’s most representative cigar shops is suspending its activities indefinitely as of today due to a partial collapse of the old Partagás factory last Sunday.
It is well known that the building has been in dilapidated condition for years. For this reason, the factory activities at this iconic site were suspended at the end of 2011. At the time, a remodeling plan had been set but the repair work has never in fact begun.
The plans for the building have been changing over the years, as the old factory was first supposed to resume activities after the repairs. Plans then changed from the site to house the Cuban Tobacco Museum to becoming a hotel and then back to being the Cuban Tobacco Museum. The truth is that neither plan seemed to be effectively set in motion, and now the recent events will definitely force action to be taken.
The collapse at the rear part of the factory left the area uncovered and the inside part of the building is now completely exposed to the elements. No one was reportedly hurt, as the area has been deactivated for some time.
The building’s general condition seems to be deteriorating and it is no longer safe to continue activities at the shop because the future is uncertain.
Caracol, the Cuban chain store that runs the La Casa del Habano Partagás, has had plans to move the shop to a new location since the beginning of 2019, but not much has been done in this direction.
Due to the plans changing frequently and little action having been taken, the cigar community is looking apprehensive and hoping that this representative factory will now get the attention it deserves.