Student 'smokes up' in downtown Auburn

In Auburn, the Phillies Blunts and Swisher Sweets at the local gas station are the closest you can come to obtaining a fine cigar, but Anthony Hawksby, 04PG, hopes to change this.

Hawksby, who has been attending the University for four years, said it was an English assignment that inspired him to open his tobacco shop, Little Anthony's Cigars, which opened last week upstairs in the Coffee Banque's former lounge.

"I had to take an advertisement and talk about it positively or negatively. I chose a Hoya de Monterrey cigar ad," Hawksby said. "We had to show how ads slanted views. I pretty much slammed it."

"I didn't tell my professor I ordered a box of Hoya de Monterreys," Hawksby said.

This is not Hawksby's first attempt at entrepreneurialism, though.

"I was the first kid on the block selling lemonade when I was six or seven," Hawksby said.

"I've been interested in having my own business since I've been here.

"I had some extra money and a great idea. Auburn doesn't have anything like this. I'm bringing a bit of the good life to Auburn," Hawksby said.

Because of Auburn's rigid no smoking policy and difficulty finding good distributors, Hawksby had to vend stogies out of his home for two months.

Little Anthony's will carry a selection of tobacco products and accessories, including imported and clove cigarettes, humidors, cigar cases and eventually pipes and pipe tobaccos.

But Hawksby said he will focus mainly on premium cigars.

Several things such as the wrapper, filler, roll and the origin of the tobacco determine whether a cigar makes the premium grade.

"Most premium cigars are hand-rolled," Hawksby said.

Hawksby said the cigar should consist of a long filler, meaning the tobacco leaves are rolled the length of the cigar instead of shredded and stuffed.

There are many types of wrappers ranging from Connecticut, which is usually the lightest shade, to Maduro, the darkest.

"It's all up to personal preference and taste," Hawksby said.

However, Hawksby insists price is a poor determinant of cigar quality.

"A lot of times you walk in a store and they say 'Okay, start with the most expensive,' so you buy an $8 cigar. That's not how it works. Just because you pay $10 for a cigar doesn't mean it's better than a $3 cigar, " Hawksby said.

"Cigars have become big business, but with all the popularity my main concern is cigar companies sacrificing quality for quantity," Hawksby said.

He said the boom in the cigar industry has "opened up cigar-smoking to another half of our population" Ñ females.

"My girlfriend smokes them. I think it's sexy," Hawksby said. "I've gotten a pretty big response from women on campus. I guess ever since Demi Moore put one in her mouth, that was it."

Hawksby encourages everyone, regardless of their previous experience with cigars, to give it a try.

"I want to answer people's questions," Hawksby said. "When I go to a cigar shop, it's usually uptight and stuffy, and I'm looked down upon because I'm young and I smoke cigars. Everyone has to start somewhere. It's a learning process."

So whether you are a cigar aficionado or a first-timer, Hawksby reminds you that "the tobacco plant is a beautiful thing given to us by God and should never be overlooked. It was put here for us to enjoy."

http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/plainsman/archives/96FA/0924/intrigue.html

New pizza joint 'taps' Auburn market

The building has been there since 1905, and for almost 80 years, it has been known as the Tiger Rec pool hall. Greg Bradshaw changed that when he decided to put a Mellow Mushroom pizza parlor in its place.

Bradshaw, an Atlanta native, graduated in 1990`from St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., with a master's degree. He taught high school English at Woodward Academy and Brentwood School in Georgia, while also coaching the football teams.

"I had the fortune of seeing Takeo Spikes play high school football," Bradshaw said.

After teaching for five years, he got into the restaurant business. "I didn't want to do fine dining. I wanted something casual, and I wanted a bar," Bradshaw said.

Mellow Mushroom, located on 128 N. College St., is the 30th store of the franchise, which began in Atlanta. This is only the second store outside of Georgia, the first being in Boone, N.C.

Bradshaw bought a franchise and began his quest for an "SEC or ACC college town." He said he had it narrowed down to Auburn or Chapel Hill, but the Plains' "old-fashioned downtown" won his heart.

"It turned out perfect location-wise. The market looked good. Students were obviously eating pizza," Bradshaw said, referring to the plethora of pizza joints in the Auburn area. Although Mellow Mushroom will not deliver this fall, Bradshaw said, "We will be equipped to deliver when the students return from Christmas break."

Bradshaw said there are few corporate regulations pertaining to the management of the franchise.

"They're not uptight at all," Bradshaw said.

The main concern is that all franchise owners meet certain quality regulations regarding the ingredients in the pizza.

"We're contractually bound to buy the best cheeses, meats and sauces," Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said Mellow Mushroom will also use baker's ovens to cook their pies.

"It takes about 25 minutes to bake one of our pies Ñ we don't want to put out a schwag product," Bradshaw said.

Another aspect that will set Mellow Mushroom apart from other pizza places in town is the extensive selection of beers. They will have 18 beers on tap, including Warsteiner, Blue Moon Belgian White and Newcastle. Bradshaw said they will also carry 30 to 50 bottled selections.

Mellow Mushroom will open this Friday, and Bradshaw said he is "looking forward to seeing students come in, try a new beer and try a new product."

http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/plainsman/archives/96FA/0924/intrigue.html