Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Simpson.
Hi Megan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I believe I was 17 when I had my 1st cigar. My dad handed it to me when I enlisted into the Army. I have always enjoyed cigars since that day. I retired after 26 years in the military 2020 and gave corporate America a try. Needless to say, I didn’t really fit in. My cousin A. Patrick Beckel approached me about opening a Humidor in Centerville and I jumped on the chance to be a part of it. We opened Beckel’s Humidor on April 1st, 2021 and we have been going strong ever since. I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years already. We are currently in the process of bringing in a few new brands and expanding the selections in our humidors.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Yes and no. The city of Centerville was very welcoming, and even the mayor was at our ribbon-cutting ceremony. We have the best location in town, being right here in the middle of a growing “Uptown”. There are a ton of new restaurants going in it’s awesome to be a part of this project. Some of the challenges we have faced is the age of the building and keeping it up to code an keeping the integrity of it being in the historical district. But we absolutely love this building, there’s so much character to it. Our customer base if growing every week and we have a TON of regulars that we just adore. They are like family and with their help with referrals we always have new people in every day/week. It’s always funny when I have a local person come in that lives only a few blocks from here, that tell me they didn’t even know we were here. The traffic on W. Franklin where we are is really busy, we are kind of hard to notice from the road. We are quite literally a hidden gem. But overall, I’d say the growth of the business has been smooth.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We specialize in high-end cigars and everything you’d need to be your own cigar aficionado. Here at Beckel’s, I think we are known for our comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. Whenever we have someone new come in and join us, they tell us it’s like they walked into someone’s living room. They really enjoy how different we are from other cigar lounges which are usually a lot darker rooms, furniture, low lighting, etc. We are bright, vibrant, yet soothing, calming, and relaxing all at the same time.
Our shop dog Winston (olde English bulldog rescue) is truly the star of the show. He greets everyone, accepts pets, and our regulars are always bringing him treats. He is very spoiled.
I am most proud of the relationships we have grown in here. A lot of our regulars are like family now. We even have a weekly networking event every Wednesday where we provide free food/snacks, cold drinks, and of course fine cigars. This event has allowed local professionals, base contractors, city officials, and other small business owners really get involved with each other professionally. I’ve had a few of our attendees actually get hired by coming in and introducing themselves to the right people.
What makes you happy?
Personally, my family makes me happy. I’m married to Dennis Simpson and we have two teenagers that run us around like crazy. Both kiddos are very involved in athletics: high school varsity, traveling elite club teams, etc. It’s an insane schedule but I love it. After being in the military for 26 years, multiple deployments, and other TDYs that took me away for weeks/months, I’m ecstatic to be able to be home for all of this craziness and not have to miss that kind of stuff again.
Professionally, I absolutely love to get the right cigar into a new smoker’s hands. I love that my regulars trust me to make suggestions and get feedback from them. Cigars are very personal, and it all depends on your palate. I always find it fun to pair the right cigar to someone coming in.
Contact Info:
- Website: beckelshumidor.com
- Instagram: beckelshumidor_aficionado
