A second store was added to the city in 1989. During the same year Thomas Hinds, with 18 years experience in the tobacco industry, signed an agreement with Cubatabaco Worldwide Distributors for the exclusive distribution rights for Canada of all Havana cigars. All duty free shops, hotels, retailers and so on are supplied through Havana House.

In 1990 Havana House was established in Windsor, Ontario with the opening of a third store. A second Havana House store was opened in 1989 located in Yorkville, Toronto and a third location in Windsor, Ontario in 1990. Tom and his brother Mel formed an equal partnership and with Tom’s mentorship they were both very proud to open a store in their hometown under the name Havana House in downtown Winnipeg.

At this time, 1992 has proven to be the most exciting year yet. Havana House, Winnipeg, was opened August 10th, and is owned and operated by Winnipeg resident Mel J. Hinds. Tom sold his interest in Havana House and subsequently opened a store on Cumberland Street in Toronto under the name Thomas Hinds Tobacconist, a name he had worked hard to raise the profile of and establish as associated with premiere service and high quality. At the same time Tom and Mel maintained their partnership in the Winnipeg location which was renamed, Thomas Hinds Tobacconist. Mel had a keen interest in distribution, brand development and adventure. He opened the wholesale and distribution company Hinds Brothers Tobacco based out of Winnipeg with a view to build on what Tom established, by developing their own brand of cigars and accessories under the name of Thomas Hinds.

The cigars were in over 2200 retail stores in the United States and available in retail stores from coast to coast to coast in Canada, distributed by Hinds Brothers Tobacco Winnipeg. To achieve this Mel traveled extensively in Honduras, Nicaragua and Ecuador. He met with numerous cigar tobacco growers and producers and spent a great deal of time out in tobacco fields and in cigar factories. He immersed himself in learning about the creation of a cigar – not unlike wine production - from seed to harvesting and from the art of blending, tasting, rolling and manufacturing through to marketing, design, testing, importing, exporting and retail and wholesale sales. Tom and Mel amicably went their own ways and Mel retained 100% of Hinds Brothers Tobacco and Thomas Hinds Tobacconist Winnipeg. The satisfying results were several desirable cigars blended and produced by Mel Hinds for the Thomas Hinds brand. One of these, Thomas Hinds Honduran Presidente, was rated the number one cigar on the planet in 2001 by Cigar Aficionado magazine, in the category of Double Coronas. No Canadian company or person in Canada has achieved this before or since and it is a very proud achievement of Hinds Brothers Tobacco Winnipeg but also of two brothers’ personal strengths combined.

We commemorated the remarkable life of Thomas Hinds, who departed with a thriving business and graciously bequeathed it to his three most devoted employees.

After 30 years in the same location Thomas Hinds Tobacconist received a well deserved renovation to our retail space. Our designer Soma Interiors lead by Rita created a space that paid tribute to the past while brining us up to the 20th century.