Red Phone Booth Opens New Cigar Lounge in Downtown Durham
Red Phone Booth has officially opened its first North Carolina location in downtown Durham. The 1920s-themed speakeasy and cigar lounge is now welcoming guests at 125 W. Orange Street.
Entry to the lounge is uniquely designed. Guests step into a restored red London phone booth outside the building and dial a nightly secret code on an antique rotary telephone to unlock the door. Once inside, the space delivers a Prohibition-era atmosphere with dark wood, leather seating, and a focus on premium cigars and craft cocktails. The Durham location is the brand’s seventh overall and its first in North Carolina. It is locally owned by Dr. Ralph K. Mensah and Dr. Michael A. Thomas, two North Carolina dentists who partnered to bring the concept to the Bull City. The roughly 4,100-square-foot, two-floor venue allows cigar smoking throughout and features a temperature-controlled walk-in humidor stocked with more than 150 premium cigars.
In addition to the cigar selection, Red Phone Booth Durham offers an extensive spirits program with more than 400 whiskeys and other bottles, classic and signature cocktails (including a Smoked Old Fashioned), Neapolitan-style pizzas, and small plates. Custom leather seating was crafted by North Carolina manufacturer Pasha. "Durham is a city that values innovation while honoring its history, and that's exactly what drew us to Red Phone Booth. We wanted to introduce an experience that feels truly distinctive—one that combines exceptional hospitality, timeless craftsmanship and an atmosphere unlike anything else in the market,” Dr. Mensah told Cigar Aficionado.
Membership is available but not required. Members receive priority entry, preferred seating, access to special tastings, and other perks. Non-members can still visit by obtaining the nightly code. The opening adds a new high-end option for cigar enthusiasts in the Raleigh-Durham area and expands the Red Phone Booth brand beyond its existing locations in Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa.