Come On In Dear Stogie Lovers Have A Cigar From Point Break

Lots of people enjoy a good cigar, right?

But not many Key West retailers can boast of having 50,000 customers partake of one of theirs, the way Moshe Gvili and Abraham Ben-Shitrit of Point Break do with their signature Key Lime Pie cigars and cigarillos.

Since firing up their first local Point Break store in 1990, the two entrepreneurs have been steadily building up market share for their custom stogies – including Key Lime Pie-flavor – not just in Key West, but also throughout North and South America, Asia, and Europe.

In addition to shops at 600 and 921 Duval St., and 403 Greene, the two surfing enthusiasts have also been doing smoking business in online retail, with countless repeat customers for their 17 premium flavored cigars and cigarillos, and five premium special blend cigars.

“All our cigars are grown from Cuban seed, hand-rolled with Cuban leaf, and packed at our fields and factory in the Dominican Republic,” said Moshe, who is himself a cigar aficionado. “The entire process is strictly inspected the whole way through. And we offer a money-back guarantee on all our cigars, though truthfully, nobody’s ever taken us up on it.”

Abraham agreed with his business partner.

“People just keep coming back to buy our cigars, especially Key Lime Pie,” he said. “It took us eight months to develop the formula for that one, and we’re the only company in the world that sells them. They’re extremely popular.”

All three Point Break stores carry cigars by other manufacturers, but at the end of the day, Moshe and Abraham are on a mission to turn customers on to their own products, in which they take great pride.

“If somebody comes in to buy Cohibas, I’ll give them one of ours to try as well,” Moshe said. “Once they sample one of my Cubanas, they’re coming back for a box.”

Another point of pride for the Point Break owners is the care and presentation afforded each individual cigar and cigarillo.

“Every one of our cigars comes with its own banded label, to ensure quality,” Moshe said, gesturing at the 600 Duval St. outlet’s expansive humidor. “And they’re individually wrapped in cellophane to ensure both freshness, and cleanliness. The cigars you buy here haven’t been touched by anyone’s hands, since they were rolled. We stand behind our product all the way.”

Lastly, the Point Break honchos say they are exacting when it comes to their staff, and put all their hires through a stringent training process. This ensures their salespeople are as helpful as possible assisting customers in making the purchases they’ll be happiest with.

“I think our newest employee has six years experience here,” Moshe said. “They’re extremely professional and knowledgeable about cigars and the whole cigar business. We all love Key West, and want to share what we know, and what we do with everyone.”