When J.C. Newman’s historic El Reloj cigar factory opened on March 31, 1910, newspapers wrote that it was the largest and finest cigar factory in the world. At that time, there were 40,000 cigar factories in the United States. Today, El Reloj stands alone as the last traditional cigar factory still operating in America.
Walking inside El Reloj is like stepping back in time. Inside, J.C. Newman handcrafts 60,000 cigars each day, the same way it did 100 years ago. El Reloj’s famous cigar brands include The American, Angel Cuesta, LeRoy Neiman, and Tampa Smokers rolled entirely by hand on the third floor, and Factory Throwouts and Trader Jack’s rolled on hand-operated antique cigar machines on the second floor. El Reloj celebrates the centuries-old tradition of American cigar making.
El Reloj has also become the premier destination for cigar tourism in the United States. Last year, more than 20,000 people visited El Reloj to walk through its cigar museum, take a guided factory tour, participate in a cigar-rolling or tobacco-tasting class, or attend an event. Cigar enthusiasts can also create their own personal cigar blend at El Reloj through J.C. Newman’s personal reserve program.
El Reloj is the top-ranked museum in Tampa on Tripadvisor. Our historic cigar factory has also been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and Fox News, among many others.
Today, J.C. Newman will celebrate El Reloj’s 115th birthday tonight with a free spoken-word event in Cigar Workers Park. Local poets and historians will read poetry and prose related to El Reloj, Ybor City, and Tampa’s historic cigar tradition.
We invite you to join us and light up your favorite J.C. Newman cigar today in celebration of El Reloj’s 115th birthday!
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