Coaches Cigar Lounge

A pair of coaches who experienced hundreds of victories inside a gymnasium are now seeking success in a different arena and at a different tempo. After Russel Blue and Bill Honeck spent years instructing their players to play with energy and intensity while making the opponent uncomfortable, the former coaches are now fostering a comfortable, laid back and relaxed atmosphere as they prepare to open Coaches Cigar Lounge this fall at 414 E Main Street in Tomball. And while Coach Honeck and Coach Blue might be deviating from aspects of their coaching style, the duo is not departing from the community that helped bring them together.

Concordia connection

Coaches Cigar Lounge, an establishment Blue and Honeck say will be a safe and comfortable atmosphere for patrons to purchase and smoke cigars in a sports-themed setting, is the result of a vision the pair had years ago. “It’s something we do as a hobby together, and we ventured out and saw a lot of cigar lounges over time,” Honeck explained. “We decided when the time is right – we were going to do something like that. The time came right; I retired from coaching and here we go.”

“It’s going to be a community friendly place and very laid back,” Blue added. “We’ve been to plenty of other lounges across the state, so we’re pulling bits and pieces from setups we’ve enjoyed and plugging them into our own place. It’s been fun to use our imagination, too.”

The lounge is located almost directly across the street from Concordia Lutheran High School. The co-owners are connected to Concordia by more than just proximity, though. In fact, Blue and Honeck’s affiliation with Concordia is as close as a smothering defender executing a full court press.

Honeck, a graduate of Concordia, enjoyed a decorated career as head boys basketball coach at his alma mater – the same school from which all three of his children graduated. More than 400 of Honeck’s 701 career victories were as head coach at Concordia, and more than 200 of those wins were with Blue serving as his assistant coach while moonlighting in the coaching profession. Blue, who has been a local financial advisor since 2006, has two children who are graduates of Concordia and his wife worked in the front office while their children attended the school. Honeck’s wife is currently an assistant principal at Concordia.

“You can probably assume there might be some Concordia paraphernalia in the lounge,” Honeck joked. “That’s about all I have.”    

Buzzer-beater brought an ideal location

It feels right that Coaches Cigar Lounge will sit merely steps away from Concordia Lutheran, where both members of the coaching duo have strong personal ties. However, had it not been for an eleventh-hour phone call, or a buzzer beater in basketball terms, the lounge would be located further away.

“We had our eyes on a location in the Cherry Street area – right where they host the Tomball Farmers Market,” Honeck revealed. “The same day we were going to pull the trigger and buy it, Nolan Butterfras reached out to us about the 414 E Main Street property – and this one is the perfect spot. It’s easy access and one of the first things people will see coming into Tomball.”

“This space, with almost 2,700 square feet, really allows us to do what we want to do – rather than making something smaller work for us,” Blue, who received a Façade Improvement Grant (FIG) and rental incentive grant from the Tomball Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), noted. “The TEDC, by being so proactive with the application process, was instrumental in guiding us, too. They’ve been awesome to work with.”  

The co-owners plan for Coaches Cigar Lounge to have a sports bar feel, but they’re replacing the alcohol and booze with tobacco and cigars. The space will feature a lounge-type layout near the front with a retail area and walk-in humidor. All customers will also have access to a quiet room separate from the main area to work, use a personal computer or make calls. Think: work-from-home meets work-from-lounge. Additionally, Coaches Cigar Lounge will offer membership, which will provide regular and after-hours entry to a member-only area section of the establishment. Memberships, currently available for purchase in advance of the lounge’s grand opening, will give access to a private lounge, more televisions, game tables, a refrigerator and lockers.  

“We are two laid back individuals,” Honeck admitted. “We want the atmosphere to be very much like that. We want customers to come in and enjoy themselves. It will not be a party scene or anything rowdy. I imagine our place being like your backyard – you’re just sitting down and relaxing with some buddies.”

Ready to ‘coach up’ customers

Blue and Honeck hope Coaches Cigar Lounge appeals to a wide range of customers – from the cigar enthusiast to the tobacco amateur to the non-smoker who simply wants comradery.

“It’s important for us to offer a wide range of knowledge and pricing,” Honeck pointed out. “We plan to have something for everyone.”

“We smoke cigars all over the place and we know what we, personally, like,” Blue said. “But just because I like it or Bill likes it, doesn’t mean this will be the end-all-be-all for you. Like anything, cigars are what you learn and what you like – so there will be some coaching up if you’re just starting out.”

It’s fitting Russel Blue and Bill Honeck, two former coaches, are excited about “coaching up” customers and not allowing years of being an instructor and educator go up in smoke at Coaches Cigar Lounge.