A 'nice' opening for cigar shop

PERKINS TWP. — With their burgers, many people pair them with french fries. For Andy Waldock, he enjoys something else on the side: cigars. Waldock, the owner of Nice Ash, relocated the cigar shop from downtown Sandusky and recently reopened it beside his other city-area business known for its burgers, Old Dutch Tavern, at 2219 E. Perkins Ave. "It's just a great combination," Waldock said. "We can use the Old Dutch to provide food and drinks, and Nice Ash is a place where we can capitalize on the synergies between the two. We can provide good value, in terms of food, cigars and customer service." People can smoke cigars: • Outside throughout a greenspace area, also abutting Old Dutch, where people can sit underneath a covered patio, walk around enjoy the grounds • Inside within a lounge area, offering tables, countertop seating and TVs Also inside, there's a walk-in humidor, which stores a wide selection of premium-level cigars. Nice Ash stores its cigars in a humidor so the tobacco doesn't dry out. Several filtration systems help ensure clean air from within. "I have cherry-picked the best cigars from the best brands, and you won't find a better humidor selection around," said Waldock, noting he offers roughly 100 different brands and upward of 300 unique selections. Waldock also intends to host cigar-based events, inviting smokers — be it aficionadoes to absolute novices — to partake in gatherings. For instance, he's hosting a bourbon-based cigar event later this month. "I like cigars because they are low-buzz and don't have the chemical additives in either the farming or manufacturing processes," Waldock said. "They are all natural. Everything about a cigar is biodegradable, just like us." Regarding those 21 and older who don't regularly smoke cigars, Waldock especially welcomes them to Nice Ash. "We have a range of offerings, like flavored and milds," Waldock said. The lines are blurring between old-school traditional cigars and the flavored and infused offerings that bring new people into the fold. There is a new wave of cigar interest from younger people and with women. It's no longer a male-dominated thing." Nice Ash operates 1-8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 1-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and 1-7 p.m. on Sundays. People can receive updates by visiting facebook.com/niceashsandusky. "Come on down: We truly have a great selection of cigars," Waldock said.