The Horsepower Cigar Lounge project was conceived in late 2020 and founded in 2021 by Paul Athey and his wife Choon Athey with the goal for providing a fun, relaxing atmosphere for people of all backgrounds to hang out and enjoy cigars together. Since cigars have been a regular part of our lives to help us relax, we wanted to create a place for others to come enjoy cigars and good company. Having smoked cigars in many lounges across the US, Canada and various islands, part of what we always enjoy is the people of all backgrounds we have met over the years.
With both us having extensive backgrounds in guest service and business management plus being cigar fans, we are excited to put together a great experience for our guests. Our philosophy in life is always to be welcoming to all and this is something that our brand represents as well. The cigar lounge decor itself incorporates racing and hot rod themes into the building along with some cultural elements of our different backgrounds. Our building tells a story and has many details to explore.
As for our racing background, Paul has driven many cars throughout his drag racing career including funny cars, pro modified and top fuel dragsters. Yes, the 300+ mph cars! Choon has done well on her own with drag racing and has been down the quarter mile in as fast as 9.05 seconds at over 150mph.