Cigar Envi Owner David Daniels said he knew the exact moment when he wanted to pursue a career in the cigar industry.

“[I] smoked my first cigar after I graduated from the U.S. Navy,” he said. “[I] fell in love with it.”

Daniels, who owned two cigar locations in Chicago, moved to the Katy area in 2013 hoping to fill a niche that was previously missing from the community. He opened Cigar Envi in 2014 and said when it comes to his facility, the name is fully encompassing of his business model.

“I chose ‘Cigar Envi’ because I wanted to be a high-end boutique cigar [lounge]; stuff that you saw in magazines no one else carried,” he said. “Everything’s a one-stop shop—any aspect—for our members. That’s why we have no clocks on the wall. It’s not about time here; it’s all about experience.”

Cigar Envi has a humidor—located within a public sitting area—that includes 36 brands and over 80 individual types of cigars as well as a members-only lounge with couches, televisions and video games.  Within the members-only lounge is the Platinum Room which is used for special occasions, such as birthday parties and corporate events which comes with a Platinum Membership or a rental fee.

Membership to Cigar Envi is paid in addition to the cost of cigars and comes in three tiers: social, executive and platinum. Hookah is also available at the facility.

Jessalyn Saunders, Daniels’ fiancee and the business’ director of operations, said she often gives first-time customers day passes to the members-only lounge, discounts new members’ first month of membership and is in the process of coming up with a short-term membership program for visitors who may not live in the Katy area.

“Here, you get to become part of a lounge club of different business owners, different people that are in political office,” she said. “You get to come and mix and mingle with them on a business level and on a personal level.”

Daniels said one of the most unique aspects of Cigar Envi is the specialization in pairing alcohol and cigars. The business does not serve alcohol, but members are allowed to bring their own spirits and consult the staff on what cigar would go best with any type of alcohol.

“I don’t ask you what you smoke; I ask you what you drink,” he said. “I want you to give me the tools to give you the best experience.”