Tampa cigar maker seeks to hire 100 workers for hospitality venture

A 131-year-old cigar company is looking for 100 new employees as it ventures beyond manufacturing and into Tampa’s hospitality industry. 

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. will hold a walk-in job fair Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 to fill positions at its historic El Reloj cigar factory, along with three new business ventures scheduled to open later this year in Ybor City.

The openings include jobs in food preparation, restaurant service, hotel operations, guest services, administration and management, as well as cigar factory positions. Both full- and part-time jobs are available, according to an announcement from the company.

The hiring push comes as the family-owned cigar maker launches J.C. Newman Hospitality, a new division of the company that will revive the newly-restored 1601 building located across the street from its iconic clock-tower cigar factory. 

The building will soon be home to The Inn at El Reloj, an 11-room boutique hotel, along with a signature, full-service American restaurant named Elaine’s after the family matriarch and a cigar lounge named for former company president Stanford Newman, the company says. 

Initially, Elaine’s will serve breakfast and lunch, although J.C. Newman plans to add dinner service at a later date. Stanford’s Cigar Club will combine premium cigars with a selection of reserve spirits and wine. The hotel will occupy the building’s second floor.

The three businesses are expected to open by the end of the year, and the company says many of its new hires will begin work this fall to prepare for the launch. 

“For four generations, our family has believed that if you take care of your people they take care of everything else,” fourth-generation owner Drew Newman says in the release. “We are proud to welcome 100 new people into that tradition, and to keep growing right here in Ybor City.”

J.C. Newman says its benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan with a company match; life and disability insurance; and paid vacation and sick leave. Expected salaries for the different positions were not disclosed. 

The job fair will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the second-floor hospitality room at the El Reloj factory, located at 2701 N. 16th St. in Ybor City. Applicants are encouraged to bring résumés, although they are not required.

Those unable to attend the event can also apply through the company’s career website. J.C. Newman is organizing the event with the CDC of Tampa, which is assisting with recruitment and community outreach.

Founded in Cleveland in 1895, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. moved to Tampa in 1954 and continues to operate from the El Reloj cigar factory, a landmark built in 1910. The company describes itself as the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in the United States.