Popular Post JohnS Posted June 21, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2015 In my conversations with Cuban Cigar Website founder Trevor Leask this year, Rob Ayala and Friends of Habanos forum has been the source of many a good story (and laugh!). I decided to contact Rob and ask him about his recollections in regards to his involvement in the Cigar industry, the beginning of the FoH forum and his initial involvement and promotion of Cuban Cigar Website. Many of us here have have benefited from Rob's passion in serving the international Cigar community, and I was grateful that Rob was able to find the time to complete this interview prior to his trip to Europe in late May/early June. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Cuban Cigar Website – a Conversation with FoH Founder Rob Ayala Getting into the Cigar Business John Stivaktas: Take us back to 1996 when you first decided to get into the cigar business...what led up to that? Rob Ayala: I had spent just over two years working for a good friend’s International Trade Company based in Singapore. I really loved international trade but with a young family I needed to spend more time at home. So after a long day looking at a Poly Staple fibre plant in Melbourne, we retired to Fidel’s Cigar bar at Crown Casino where we had a few drinks and enjoyed a Cohiba Siglo III. I thanked him for the opportunity he had given me and explained the need to be home more often. He asked me what I was thinking for doing for work. I replied that having always enjoyed them, I would like to find a way to get into the Cigar trade. He said he thought his family were Habanos agent somewhere in the world….and that is how I started as a fine upstanding parallel importing pirate. JS: I understand you first set up business in the corner of a coffee warehouse. How did that work out initially and how did things expand? RA: Dean Merlo is one of Australia’s coffee gurus and we started out roughly at the same time in the mid 90’’s. He had a spare retail space in his retail roasting factory at New Farm in Brisbane and he invited me to set up a Divan. Dean loves his cigars and he saw “coffee and cigars” as being a glove fit. Before you know it the doors were opened on the first Cigar Czar incarceration in 1996. I took $236 in my first week of trade !LOL! I think anyone who starts their own business from scratch knows that gut wrenching feeling of the early days. Trade steadily improved but I worked out early on that I wanted more of a global footing. The Internet was beginning to hit full steam and that is where I headed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Friends of Habanos Forum JS: When and how did you get the idea of incorporating a forum to build a cigar community (which I truly love by the way!). Did you envisage that it would have a strong international profile? RA: The forum came along in 2004. We had toyed with the idea for two years prior but I had no real idea if it was going to be a success. What I did know by that time was how close knit the cigar community was and a ”home” for my clients seemed a natural extension. They were raucous times with some brilliant cigar parties/festivities. There was so much happening not just in my own life but that of my cigar loving friends from all over the world. Friendsofhabanos became our clubhouse. The culture of the forum was shaped by the members themselves and some superb initial mods like Ross, Wilkey, Trev, Ken and Guy. There is camaraderie among cigar lovers globally. We all face similar issues in our personal lives and in our cigar lives. The Forum was the perfect vehicle for many. JS: When Trevor first contacted you about his Cuban Cigar Website and promoting it on FoH what were your initial thoughts about it? RA: My initial thoughts were about the scale of the undertaking! There is no way you could not support such a benchmark resource in the world of Habanos 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JohnS Posted June 21, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2015 Cuban Cigar Website and the 'World of Habanos' JS: Did you make suggestions about CCW along the way yourself? RA:None that I can recall. Trevor was the expert and it was his passion, his baby. I am always loathed to think that I know better! JS: Where does CCW fit into the culture of the 'World of Habanos' from your point of view? RA: Simply, the finest Cuban Cigar resource in the world today. Not enough credit has ever been given to Trevor for his work in meticulously putting together such a brilliant catalogue of work. Trevor is one of the great gentlemen of the cigar world and he deserves every kudos. JS: Finally, as Cuban Cigars and their enjoyment are so subjective and open to varying points of view from enthusiasts, do you marvel how CCW seems to be a final word on matters sometimes? RA: God knows I refer to it regularly! I think it is because in a cigar world full of subjectivity, CCW is so attractive because it deals in pure facts. CCW is the skeleton that forms the backbone to our referencing of this hobby. The multitude of opinion and subjectivity forms the flesh. Both are far richer because of the other. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordAnubis Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Awesome! Great work mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subport Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Thanks mate. Very good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torsion Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Another excellent interview, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg31 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Thank you John. Great job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omartout Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Thanks John! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madandana Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Great work John. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeskow Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Great interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZCUBAN Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Great work John For those who don't know the history of Rob Trev and FOH its a good insight Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillys Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Thanks John, great read! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topdiesel Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Cool, I love it. This forum is so interesting and threads like this keep it fresh and exciting. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Another great read, Johnno - nice work to you and RA. I'm looking forward to the next installment, and future writings here on the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shikar Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Wonderful. Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAZ Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Good read. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayepatz Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Good stuff mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUBANO Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Once again, thanks for the review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Twain Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Wonderful interview Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLB03TT Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Thanks John for the interview and thanks to Rob and Trevor for all you guys contribute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauxj Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I really enjoyed the interview, John. Thank you for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHFinster Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Nicely done John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Jeebus, I just realized now that Robs initials are "RA" Great read John, thanks for the work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonameno Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Hello Fellow FOHers, Thanks gentlemen for putting this interview together. Its fun to get some insights into the FOH foundings. Thank you, Curtiss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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