What’s more important than ambition? Execution. The point where aspiration and action intersect is where greatness can be found. Armed with a vision and a plan, Anthony Bibbs II is on his way to manifesting his reality.
He’s the creator and founder of Stogies and Bowties, an upscale cigar company that hosts a monthly pop-up at Five Central called Sexy Sunday’s located on 2736 Virginia St.
If you haven’t visited Five Central yet, it’s the only indoor cigar lounge inside the 610 loop with a full bar. It’s an elegant venue with chill speakeasy vibes that complements your cigar smoking experience perfectly.
His event is aptly named, Stogies & Bowties: Sexy Sunday’s with an equal emphasis on both elements. Now in its fourth month, each event has evolved to build on the success of the last one. The next event on April 25th will feature a live band, along with a new twist every last Sunday of the month thereafter.
Anthony’s vision was to curate a classy experience for novice and experienced cigar enthusiasts alike. So what did I find?
5 – 6 years ago, through Houston Cigar Life I hosted the Suits & Cigar parties at this same venue when it was called 1919 Mixology, under Darla Lexington’s stewardship. So when I was on my way to Sexy Sunday’s for the first time, I was very curious how different or similar Anthony’s event would be.
What I found was a totally unique event but equally spectacular, if not more. In the last few years, several new cigar events have popped up around the city as Houston’s cigar community has grown exponentially. There’s literally something for everyone, but Sexy Sunday’s is the first event in a long time that’s dedicated to the sophisticated tendencies of cigar enthusiasts.
While sitting with Anthony to better understand his vision, he explained that Sexy Sunday’s is equivalent to a New Year celebration every month. It’s a time for cigar enthusiasts to come together, dress up and reinvigorate their purpose.
While his company Stogies & Bowties has been officially in existence since 2014, it’s only recently that he’s dedicated himself to it full time, with an emphasis on events. Prior to adding events to his portfolio, he was hosting pop-up cigar tables and delivering cigars around Houston.
After Anthony got up to mingle, I got to pay attention to the little details that demonstrated his passion for his business. There were pillows with the Stogies & Bowtie logo, service was impeccable and the moment his mom handed out cookies, I was all in from that point forward.
The future of Houston’s cigar scene is in good hands as long as people like Anthony continue to represent our great city in the best way.
Follow Stogies and Bowties on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/stogiesandbowties/
Also, tune into Anthony’s weekly podcast titled, “Smoke Check” shared live every Wednesday. The first guest was NFL Hall of Famer, Ed Reed. Its barbershop convo over cigars on Instagram Live.