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He said the biggest misconceptions about cigars come from lumping them in the same category as cigarettes. Cigars are 100 percent natural and are wrapped in...

When newbies walk into his store unsure of what to select, manager Blair Maki steers them toward something medium- to full-bodied, and spicy with earthy tones.

These characteristics make Rocky Patel's Edge cigars one of Maki's personal favorites.

"Cigars have a lot in common with wine," said Maki, manager of Churchill's Fine Cigars in downtown Tempe. "They improve with age, they can be really complex and interesting."

The Mill Avenue cigar shop opened in 1997 and was the second of owner Bart Gerber's five stores. At 300 square feet, it is his smallest and was the first to face a smoking ban, when Tempe voters passed what at the time was the state's strictest smoking law in 2002.

Because at least 75 percent of Churchill's revenue is generated from tobacco sales, smoking is legal in the store, although Gerber said it's not usually allowed because the area is so small. Patrons smoke at a seating area just outside the store.

Gerber said that after the Tempe ban passed, sales dropped about 33 percent for a six to eight-month period, but slowly rebounded and now are fully recovered with sales a little up. He doesn't expect the recent statewide ban to affect his Tempe store, but is prepared for it to have a similar impact on his other shops.

"It took a while for restaurants to get their patios set up and in order, but once that happened sales started going up," Gerber said of his Tempe business. "That'll probably happen again with the other stores, but it'll be back up."

Churchill's also are in Phoenix at 44th Street and Camelback, in Scottsdale at Scottsdale Road south of Shea Boulevard and in Glendale at the 101 and 67th Avenue. His Ahwatukee Foothills location at Interstate 10 and Ray Road will open in July.

Gerber was a practicing attorney who enjoyed a good cigar every now and then when he made a career switch in 1994.

"I didn't see myself practicing law for the rest of my life. I always had an entrepreneurial bug in me," he said.

He noticed there weren't many places for cigar smokers who wanted variety and upscale brands. Most were tobacco shops with grumpy employees who were not willing to help novices or take the time to explain the dynamics of what was becoming more than just Gerber's hobby, he said.

He sought out to change that and opened his Phoenix location, capitalizing on the cigar boon of the '90s.

Ten years ago, Gerber spent a night on Mill Avenue and saw the crowd of college students, tourists and cruisers pack the street. Wanting to capture that business, he opened the Tempe location at Mill and Sixth Street.

Although he carries a pricey $39 Zino Platinum, many upscale cigars fall in the $12-$20 range, including the high-end Cohiba, which is aged and uses select tobacco. Flavored cigars are also extremely popular, with hints of vanilla, chocolate or even spirits like Maker's Mark. Gerber's favorite of the moment is the Tatuaje, one of the stronger cigars, which goes for $7-$8. Cigarettes, mainly cloves or imports from England or Canada, are available.

Gerber will remodel the Mill Avenue store in a few weeks to give it an upscale feel. Although the average purchase at the store is $8-$10, it has the most foot traffic and diverse clientele of his shops. College students, business professionals and Mill Avenue's colorful characters are regulars.

He said the biggest misconceptions about cigars come from lumping them in the same category as cigarettes. Cigars are 100 percent natural and are wrapped in a tobacco leaf, while cigarettes are wrapped in paper and contain chemicals, he said. Cigars are puffed for the flavor. Cigarettes are inhaled for the nicotine.

"Smokers go through a pack or two a day because they need it," Gerber said. "Cigar smokers do it occasionally. It's something you choose to do."