Newport News, Virginia cigar lounge owner, entrepreneur, pivots from health care

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Newport News cigar lounge owner, entrepreneur, pivots from health care

The humidors in the smoking room at Tailored Smoke in Newport News offer more than 60 “faces” or varieties. (Andi Petrini/For Inside Business) 

By Andi Petrini, Correspondent - PUBLISHED: April 18, 2026 at 10:23 AM EDT

Latosha Veney wasn’t a cigar smoker. Now she enjoys one nearly every day.

Veney said she didn’t know anything about cigars when a partnership didn’t pan out and she assumed ownership of Tailored Smoke, a cigar lounge and restaurant in Newport News. She is the first woman to own a lounge in the franchise and has seen her business outgrow its original space in a little over two years.

The cigar lounge moved from one corner of the Shoppes at Oyster Point to the other end of the complex in a larger and more defined space, Veney said, opening the new lounge in October. It has a better-defined nonsmoking space that features a bar and restaurant area, a large smoking area where the cigar humidor cabinets reside and a separate VIP lounge.

Tailored Smoke is a members-only cigar lounge. There are more than 500 members and 35 VIPs, Veney said. Day passes are offered at $10 for those interested in experiencing the lounge before purchasing a membership, which is $25 a year. VIP membership is $100 per month, with additional perks like 25% off cigars, food and merchandise, and inclusive tastings.

“We are the only ones in the area that have a full restaurant and bar. Most lounges are just smoking. Here you can eat, drink and enjoy your cigars,” she said.

Latosha Veney is the first woman to own a Tailored Smoke franchise. She has operated the Newport News location for more than two years. (Kamerashy aka Michael Brooks)

While running a restaurant and cigar lounge is new to Veney, she is no stranger to entrepreneurship. She has a home health care agency, Caring Hearts and Hands, that arranges in-home personal care aides and certified nursing assistants. She also owns an event space called Kahootz next to the cigar lounge that is available to rent, and she’s written three fiction novels.

“Before this I was always an introvert,” Veney said. “Now I don’t get to hide behind anything. I always have to be front and center. I have to be that person making connections and building relationships. … That’s been very challenging for me.”

Veney said she overcame that challenge by relating it to the core of her health care career: taking care of people.

“I had to realize I was still providing a service — taking care of people and making sure they are happy,” she said. “This requires a lot of me. I work all my businesses from here all day. By the time the members come, everyone knows everyone and we sit back and smoke cigars, talk about life and have a good time.”

Veney said members visit from all over Hampton Roads, Richmond and beyond.

“They consider us a destination location. For a lot of cigar smokers, Tailored Smoke is always their first stop,” she said. “Most cigar smokers are retired government employees, golfers — they’re travelers. They’re so deep into cigars, they visit cigar lounges to take off their bucket list.”

The lounge has more than 60 “faces,” or varieties of cigars, and a variety of bourbons that Veney said help enhance the cigar flavors.

“Almost all cigar smokers drink bourbon,” she said.

The staff is educated on the cigars, even if they work in the nonsmoking section, and are trained in giving members “an unparalleled experience every single time,” Veney said.

“It’s not just about service, it’s truly about hospitality.”

Tailored Smoke at 605 Pilot House Drive in Newport News is a woman-owned, members-only cigar lounge, bar and restaurant. (Andi Petrini/For Inside Business)

She solicits feedback from members on the types of cigars they want to see carried. VIP members also have their own locker in the lounge to store specialty cigars. Veney said she works with distributors to add or update inventory.

The lounge is open daily, and often hosts networking events, special tastings, live music, comedy nights and other entertainment. That includes offering space to a local women’s cigar club, Ladies of the Round Table.

“I wanted to create an environment where (cigar smokers) feel safe, let their hair down and enjoy life through good conversation,” Veney said. “I think we offer an elevated experience to eat, drink, and connect and define culture on the Peninsula.”

If you go

Where: 605 Pilot House Drive, Newport News, VA

Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday; noon to midnight Tuesday and Wednesday; noon to 1 a.m. Thursday; noon to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to midnight Sunday

Details: 757-782-4800; tailoredsmokecigarloungeva.com

Source: https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/04/18/newport-news-cigar-lounge-owner-entrepreneur-pivots/