New Cigar Emporium in Vegas

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Havana Republic to Open First Cigar Emporium in Las Vegas WESTON, Fla., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Havana Republic, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: HVAR), the premier upscale retailer of fine cigars and cigar-related merchandise, has signed a Letter of Intent with TrizecHahn Development Corp. (NYSE: TZH) to open a world class cigar emporium at DESERT PASSAGE(R) located at the new Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, the crown jewel of a $1.3 billion complex which offers a breadth and depth of exotic experiences found nowhere else. DESERT PASSAGE is the retail component of the new Aladdin Hotel Resort and Casino offering 600,000 sq. feet of upscale retail of which 170,000 sq. feet is dedicated to upscale restaurants. Adjoining DESERT PASSAGE is the extraordinary new 2,600-room Aladdin Resort & Casino, which is adjacent to the new PARIS LAS VEGAS and Bellagio Resorts. The Aladdin includes a breathtaking 100,000 sq. foot casino, a 7,000-seat Theater for the Performing Arts, and a London Clubs International luxury gaming salon, "Salle Privee," in addition to the new casino. The newest Havana Republic cigar emporium will be one of approximately 130 upscale retailers at DESERT PASSAGE, including Billy Martin's, Tommy Bahamas, North Beach Leather, Cole Haan, Betsy Johnson, Bernard K. Passman, Godiva, and Mont Blanc. DESERT PASSAGE also offers its guests 170,000 sq. feet of the finest international restaurants, including Commander's Palace, a 12,000 sq. foot eating establishment rated by Zagat's as the number one restaurant in the U.S., which is located right next door to the Havana Republic cigar emporium.

Havana Republic's anticipated opening is set for December 15, 2000, and will be located in one of the prime retail locations within the DESERT PASSAGE location. It will offer only the finest cigars and cigar-related merchandise, including Elie Bleu, S.T. Dupont, Dunhill, Mont Blanc, Davidoff, Peterson, Daniel Marshall, Michele Perrnoud, Colibri, and more. The 1,100 sq. foot emporium will come replete with a walk-in humidor containing an elegantly appointed clubroom where cigar connoisseurs can relax and enjoy their favorite cigars. The Las Vegas emporium will become the fourth authorized Davidoff White Label retailer in the Havana Republic chain. Davidoff is one of the most prestigious lines of cigars and accessories in the world, and its White Label line is considered to be the most exclusive line for a retailer to obtain. Three stores in from Las Vegas Boulevard, the emporium directly faces one of the three main entrances to the Aladdin's casino. Since the DESERT PASSAGE Aladdin opening in mid-August, the DESERT PASSAGE project has averaged 110,000 visitors per day. As one of the world's premier tourist destinations, Las Vegas is visited by more than 40 million people every year and has more hotel rooms than any other city in the U.S., with an incredible 93% occupancy rate year-round. During last 12 months, nearly 13 million visitors to Las Vegas passed in front of the Aladdin Hotel / DESERT PASSAGE complex during its $1.3 billion redevelopment and construction phase. "We are very excited about our new DESERT PASSAGE Emporium, our first location in Las Vegas. The new Havana Republic emporium is part of the Company's strategic plan to expand beyond South Florida, bringing the highest quality cigars and cigar-related merchandise to upscale consumers in major gaming cities in the U.S. and abroad," stated Stephen Schatzman, President of Havana Republic. "Upscale destinations like DESERT PASSAGE represent major opportunities to quickly capture a significant share of the billion dollar market for high quality cigars and cigar-related merchandise. We are very excited about this newest emporium, which we believe could be cash flow positive starting in the first quarter of 2001 and which could result in a doubling of Havana Republic's total revenues for 2001." Havana Republic currently operates three upscale cigar emporiums in South Florida, with what will be its fifth emporium, at the $500 million City Place development in West Palm Beach, which is scheduled to open in March 2001. Havana Republic recently announced a Letter of Intent with Ricardo Amarou, an internationally known operator of upscale restaurants and clubs, and Sergio Goldberg, a leading developer of commercial properties and shopping centers in Brazil, to form a joint venture for the development and operation of Havana Republic cigar emporiums in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- I know this is old but I saw someone recently asking about places in Vegas so I thought I would add it.

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