CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- A unique bar in Charleston may soon be on the way out.
Club Habana has carved a nice niche on Meeting Street. The cigar bar has been open for 16 years, but the building's owner now wants the business and its smoke put out.
Tom Pompeii runs Club Habana and says his lease is not being renewed.
"It was a total surprise, absolute total surprise, came out of nowhere," said Pompeii.
Pompeii's landlord recently decided to make the building smoke free. That means Club Habana must find a new home. It's something Pompeii has hoped to avoid, after putting 16 years of time and money into his business
"When we were told the owner wanted to take the building smokeless we asked if there was anything we could do," he said. "After about four months and several thousand dollars we were told they still weren't happy."
He spent $4,000 on new air filters last August, not enough to clear the air for the building's other tenants. So now, Pompeii must get the city of Charleston to approve his move. In 2007, when the city's smoking ban took effect, Club Habana was given an exemption by city council. That was contingent on the fact the bar would stay put.
"It's been frustrating to say the least. We want to be able to stay in business. We want to take care of our customer," said Pompeii. "We want to do that in a way where we don't sabotage what we've taken 16 years to create."
In order to survive, the city must okay Pompeii to reopen at a new location. This goes against the city's original ordinance, which said the cigar bar was not permitted to expand or move.
Still, Pompeii's business is banking on getting a break.
"A lot of people still really enjoy it. It's still legal," he said. "Come in on any given night, you'll see a lot of people really enjoy doing that."
Club Habana is eyeing a new property just down the road on Market Street. Meantime, the club's current lease has already expired.
City council will review the city's smoking ordinance, and how it applies to the cigar bar, at a meeting next Tuesday.
