In Arlington Heights, Illinois, a family-owned tobacconist brings together an extraordinary selection of cigars, pipes, and international tobaccos with a welcoming community built around a shared appreciation for the smoking tradition.
During my recent travels through the Chicago area, I had the pleasure of visiting Arlington Pipe & Cigar Lounge, a longstanding tobacconist in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Before my visit, I had reached out to owner Chris Nichols, who kindly invited me to stop by and explore the shop. Upon arriving, I was welcomed by his son, who gave me a tour and shared more about the family business.
What I discovered was far more than an ordinary cigar lounge. Arlington Pipe & Cigar is a place where two distinct smoking traditions come together, surrounded by an impressive collection of tobacco, pipes, cigars, and people who genuinely appreciate them.
A World of Tobacco Under One Roof
One of the first things that caught my attention was the shop’s extraordinary selection of pipe tobacco.
An enormous display stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with tins and blends representing tobacco traditions from around the world. It was the kind of collection you could spend hours exploring, discovering unfamiliar brands, unique mixtures, and different approaches to the centuries-old craft of blending tobacco.
According to the business, Arlington carries more than 300 varieties of tinned pipe tobacco, approximately 40 bulk tobaccos, and over 300 pipes. Its selection includes well-known names such as Peterson, Samuel Gawith, Mac Baren, Cornell & Diehl, and numerous others.
For anyone interested in the history and diversity of tobacco, the selection is fascinating.
Pipe tobacco itself represents an enormous world of regional traditions, blending techniques, and evolving tastes. From traditional English mixtures to aromatic Dutch-style blends and American tobacco preparations, there is an incredible amount of variety to discover.
Seeing so many of these traditions represented together was one of the highlights of my visit.
And that was only the pipe tobacco!
Where Pipes and Cigars Meet
What impressed me most about Arlington Pipe & Cigar was the balance between its two specialties.
Many modern tobacco lounges focus almost exclusively on cigars, with pipes and pipe tobacco receiving comparatively little attention. Arlington, however, maintains an impressive commitment to both.
Alongside its extensive pipe and tobacco selection, the shop maintains a substantial inventory of premium cigars, with the business reporting more than 23,000 cigars in stock.
The result is an environment where cigar enthusiasts and pipe smokers can appreciate their respective traditions without either feeling out of place.
Although pipes and cigars have distinct histories and cultures, they share many of the same qualities that have made tobacco smoking a social tradition for generations: craftsmanship, ritual, conversation, and an appreciation for the experience itself.
At Arlington, those common interests become the foundation of a shared space.
Comfortable lounge seating provides room to relax, enjoy a smoke, and strike up a conversation. Rather than feeling like two separate businesses operating under one roof, the shop brings these interests together quite naturally.
A Family Business Built Around Community
Another particularly enjoyable aspect of my visit was learning more about the people behind the business.
Arlington Pipe & Cigar traces its origins to the 1970s and was acquired by Chris and Jennifer Nichols in May 2016.
It remains a family-owned operation, something I had the opportunity to experience firsthand.
Chris was generous enough to invite me to visit, and his son was equally welcoming in showing me around and explaining more about the establishment.
There is something especially appealing about encountering a family business where the people involved take a personal interest in what they do. Their hospitality made the experience feel less like visiting a retail store and more like being introduced to a community.
That community extends well beyond the shop’s everyday customers.
Arlington also serves as a meeting place for the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club, a longstanding organization dedicated to pipe collecting, tobacco appreciation, and the preservation of pipe-smoking traditions.
During my visit, I had the pleasure of spending time with members of the club and experiencing their enthusiasm firsthand.
There were tobacco samples available to try, conversations to join, and people eager to share their interests and knowledge.
What stood out to me was how warm and inviting everyone was. Whether someone was discussing a particular pipe, discovering a new blend, or simply enjoying the company of fellow enthusiasts, there was a genuine sense of camaraderie.
It was a wonderful reminder that these traditions are about considerably more than the objects or tobacco themselves.
They are also about the people and relationships that develop around them.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
The longer I spent at Arlington Pipe & Cigar, the more I appreciated what the establishment represents.
Traditional tobacconists have historically served as places of gathering, conversation, and exchange. Beyond purchasing tobacco, customers could discover new products, learn from experienced smokers, and develop friendships through a shared interest.
Arlington continues much of that tradition today, while embracing the modern cigar lounge and maintaining an extraordinary selection for pipe enthusiasts.
Its combination of a family-owned business, extensive inventory, and an active community of collectors makes it a particularly interesting destination for anyone interested in smoking history and culture.
I left with an even greater appreciation for the people who continue to keep these traditions alive.
For me, the most memorable part of the experience wasn’t simply the towering shelves of tobacco or the impressive collection of cigars and pipes. It was seeing how naturally a shared interest could bring people together, creating a welcoming environment where knowledge, stories, and traditions are passed along through conversation.
That sense of community is what makes places like Arlington Pipe & Cigar worth preserving, visiting, and documenting.
I’m grateful to Chris Nichols, his family, and the members of the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club for their hospitality and for making my visit such an enjoyable experience.
Visit Arlington Pipe & Cigar Lounge
Location: 546 W. Northwest Highway, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004
Website: www.arlingtoncigar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonPipeCigar
Phone: (847) 255-2263
This article is part of History of Smoke’s ongoing exploration of historic tobacconists, smoking traditions, and the communities that preserve them.
