Anti-Biden Shop Closing; Elmhurst Blamed
ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst Cigar House, which attracted attention in 2021 by banning Joe Biden supporters, is closing soon.
On Thursday, owner Shaun Thompson blamed the city of Elmhurst.
For months, he said the city has gone after the cigar shop, 114 W. Park Ave. He said the city was working through the shop’s landlord and recently started charging daily fines.
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“They’re not telling me what the fines are for,” he told Patch. “We were in compliance with the regulations. They declared my shop a public nuisance.”
Elmhurst Cigar House is at 114 W. Park Ave. Its owner said the business has been operating for a quarter century. (David Giuliani/Patch)
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Thompson mentioned that air quality was raised as an issue, but he said he has not gotten specifics.
In early May 2023, the city’s code enforcement received a complaint about an odor from the cigar shop affecting J’s Tailoring, which is in the same building, the city’s spokeswoman, Kassondra Schref, said in an email Friday. A month-long investigation confirmed the odor was a nuisance, she said.
Between June and October 2023, the city worked with the property owner to resolve the smoke odor issue, Schref said. After multiple inspections, she said, the city cited the cigar shop on Oct. 19 because of the “persistent nuisance despite ventilation updates.”
From November to May, the city made efforts with the property owner to improve ventilation and air quality, Schref said.
“However, compliance was not achieved, leading to ongoing fines and further hearings,” she said.
The city has been informed that the leases for both tenants were being terminated in June and July, Schref said. A compliance hearing is set for July 16.
On Thursday morning, Thompson said the business was closing this weekend. When Patch visited in the afternoon, the woman working the register said the landlord had since given the business a couple more weeks.
Not long before Biden took office, the shop put up a sign reading, “Biden Voters Keep Out!” It remains up. At the time, Thompson told a TV station that he was willing to suffer the business consequences.
In an interview with Patch on Thursday, Thompson, who said he has moved to Florida, said he would not allow Democrats in his store. He said Democrats hold anti-business views.
“The beautiful thing about property is the right of exclusion,” Thompson said. “If (Democrats) don’t like people who make money, I don’t want you coming in and getting the benefits of my service. If you are a supporter of the philosophy against my business, I don’t want you in. People don’t like to hear that. They feel entitled.”
Thompson said he suspected the city’s effort to pursue his shop was connected to his politics, saying Democrats are in city positions.
He said he was glad the 25-year-old business is closing, given the city’s approach.
“In the grand scheme of things, that’s fine,” Thompson said.
And he said he is glad for his anti-Democrat policy.
“Four years out, I didn’t tolerate one of them,” he said.
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