News - Saratoga's Hot Corner

At first, it is a mild fragrance but as you get closer, the palate weakens and memories of your dad in days gone by take over. Memories of sitting on the front stoop after Sunday dinner, or at the ball game on a hot summer’s day, come racing back. Just one more block away are the billowing clouds of smoke, laughter and good cheer. You have arrived at a place where the finest cigars in the world are sold. That place is the Park Lane Tobacconist. This small corner of the world has quickly become the most popular gathering place on Broadway. One immediately discovers that this is more than a cigar shop. Park Lane is a place where friends come together and everyone is treated like family. In a high tech world where many of us have lost human contact, this small shop at 360 Broadway has served as the catalyst for that missing element.

In October of 2005, Jim Kommer and a group of partners opened the first Park Lane location at 15 Park Avenue in Clifton Park. Jim, a cigar aficionado for many years, had a dream of turning his life-long love into a business. “I just love cigars,” says Jim. “I knew there was a need for some type of cigar shop that offered more to the public. I wanted to create a true gentleman’s club that welcomed women and families as well. There are too many places that are cold and impersonal. I felt that if I was going to do this, it was going to be special.”

The Clifton Park location was an instant success. Customers enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and the wide variety of cigars that Park Lane offered. Jim felt, however, that he had more to offer. In 2004, he began searching for the ideal location where his dream of creating the old fashioned gentleman’s club could become reality. In October 2005, Jim opened his second location in Saratoga Springs. “I chose this location on Broadway because it had it all. You get a certain feeling from the building, its location and views, right on the corner! The old fashioned wooden doors, the architecture - it was perfect and I knew Saratoga needed this type of business.”

Jim’s vision has grown well beyond what he had even anticipated. Park Lane certainly has captured that old fashioned look that Jim was searching for, but has done so with modern amenities as well. When you walk in you enjoy the look and feel of a British-style shop. With its large walk-in humidor and selection of fine colognes and accessories for men, Park Lane offers more than tobacco. Park Lane also offers private club membership with discounts on brand name cigars such as Partagas, Monte Cristo and CAO. Members also enjoy private lockers, with name plates, for their humidors, three flat screen televisions, wireless internet and more. But for Jim, the cigars have become secondary. He realizes that he has created a social environment that was sadly missing in this part of town.

“I love to watch people walk by,” says Jim. “There eyes gaze in at my shop and look in all directions. They watch me and the gang sitting outside with our chairs lined up and can’t help but stop by and chat. It’s old world meeting new world.”

Along with Jim are his two sons, Brandon and Kyle, who work alongside their Dad. There is also the shop manager, Bill Moseman and the big, loveable Samoan, Nate Gillie. All of them are knowledgeable of their product and are willing to help customers in any way they can. For Jim, this has become a dream come true, but that dream has spilled over into the community as well. Jim immediately saw the need to give back to everyone who has made his business successful.

He began to explore charitable organizations to accomplish this. The answer came quickly in the form of Make a Wish. On May 1, 2000, Jim’s son, Cody, passed away at the age of 15. He had suffered for years from a debilitating birth defect. When asked about this, Jim responded proudly. “I wanted to do something for the community but also to honor the memory of my son. Make a Wish was the perfect match.”

Their local executive, Bill Triggs, worked closely with Jim and together they created a charitable event called “Night of Exquisite Tastes.” The fall of 2007 was the first year for the event and it was, like anything Jim does, an immediate success. Park Lane invited local restaurants and businesses, cigar vendors and of course, their customers. With thanks to Mike Bucci at the Saratoga Polo Club, the event was held there, and in its first year, raised more than $30,000 for Make a Wish. Needless to say, Make a Wish wanted to continue the relationship.

During the Christmas season, Jim raised another $3,000 for Make a Wish. This past week, Jim and Park Lane held their second annual event at The Polo Club. This year they surpassed the dollars raised in 2007 and had more than 300 guests. They added more local restaurants and vendors and gave out more than 25 cigars to everyone who attended. Jim’s wife, Rose, has also become a Wish Grantor and has given back to the first family she has been assigned to.

It is safe to say that Park Lane Tobacconist is more than a cigar shop. It is a place to laugh, to cry, to share important conversation and to relax. Above all, it is a solid part of the Saratoga Springs community that gives joy to its patrons but gives back to the community as well.