Quesada Sisters Acquire Family Cigar Company
Quesada Cigars is now being run by sisters Raquel and Patricia Quesada Vega, and has been acquired by the Quesada Vega family. The Dominican cigar company was founded by Manuel “Manolin” Quesada in 1974, who worked alongside his son Manuel “Manolo” Quesada. Manolo was the face of the operation for years, in Cigar Aficionado stories, interviews and at events, but ownership was more complicated.
“The company was originally owned by my grandfather,” says Patricia Quesada Vega, “and when he died his sons inherited it.” Those sons were Manolo Quesada and his brother Alvaro.
Alvaro, his son Alvarito and Manolo’s right-hand man Julio Fajardo died in a plane crash in 2002. It was a tragedy that scarred the company, and inspired the creation of the Quesada Tributo brand. It also changed Quesada’s ownership. “When my uncle died in the plane accident years ago, his daughter Esther Quesada Bermudez and her family inherited his shares.”
In recent years, Quesada Cigars had several high-level departures: Patricia left (quietly) in 2017, as did Terence Reilly, who served as national sales manager. Hostos Quesada left in 2018. Patricia came back this year.
Negotiations for the Quesada Vega family to fully acquire the business began in June 2024 and were completed in September. The move was, in part, prompted by an injury. Earlier this year, Manolo Quesada suffered a stroke and fell during the ProCigar Festival, fracturing his skull. He is recovering from his injuries, not working actively and living in Spain.
“With bad things, good things happen,” says Raquel.
“He’s still in recovery,” says Patricia of her 77-year-old father. “His stress level needs to be zero.” Both sisters said their father was a phone call or a Zoom call away for consulting on the business.
With their father indisposed, the sisters stepped in to do more. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition does include the assumption of debt.
Both sisters said their cigar brands, particularly the Quesada brand, had “suffered” in recent years, and they have plans to bring it back to prominence. They will continue making their brands in the factory they own in Licey, Dominican Republic, which includes Casa Magna and Quesada.
“We are going to be very involved,” says Patricia. “We’re updating our systems—for six years we’ve been on hold . . . . We want to be present, regain the retailers we have lost, with a new mentality.”
In a Zoom interview with Cigar Aficionado, the sisters were visibly excited about the new possibilities for the company. Occasionally they would complete each other’s sentences.
“We’ve been finding out how much we complement each other,” says Patricia, “and how great we are as a team.”
“Whatever is in good shape here is going to stay,” says Racquel. “But where there are possibilities to change for the better, we’re going to do that.”
