Eight Nine Eight Cigar Lounge & Bar is a new business in Franklin County that offers a membership program, a cocktail menu and a walk-in humidor, located at 20 W. Second St., Suite 110, in Washington.
Friends turned business partners Scott Dieckhaus and Doug Maune opened the lounge in mid-July. The idea of opening a cigar lounge was something that Dieckhaus had wanted to do for about a decade, and when the ideal location became available, he and Maune moved quickly to make the idea a reality.
The building is located in a historic area of Washington, and dates back to the 1800s. Recently renovated by Patke Restoration, a contracting company in Franklin County specializing in historical restoration projects, the space features natural light, wood details and a balance of dark and light tones. The restoration company is owned by John Patke, who also owns the building. Dieckhaus and Patke ran into each other at an event and Patke suggested the space to Dieckhaus, and within about three months from that conversation, the business opened.
With some exposed brick walls, wood flooring and recessed lighting that’s complimented by soft leather seating and dark wood bar, the space has a classic lounge vibe that’s upscale, yet warm and inviting. “I think it’s upscale, but not uptight,” Maune described the aesthetic.
The walk-in humidor is glass enclosed, with lighter wood accents, while the painted ceiling features exposed ductwork, giving the entire space an open feeling. With a mix of bar seating, sofas and chairs, the total seating capacity of the 1,300square-foot space is around 30 indoors, with an adjacent patio that seats another two dozen guests.
The blend of seating options make it a place that people can hang out for hours, whether a group of friends looking for a conversation space to enjoy a cigar and drinks, couples having post-dinner drinks, or even people who want to come in and sit at the bar and work on their laptop.
The classic lounge vibe extends to the cocktail menu, which features 12 drinks such as an Old-Fashioned, one of the best-sellers. Other popular drink choices include the espresso martini, made with cold brew from underGROUNDS Espresso Bar located in Washington, along with Tito’s, vanilla vodka, turbinado and Kamora Coffee Liqueur.
The cocktail menu was developed by Kaleb Harvey, owner of Harvey’s Coffee & Cocktails in Midtown.
“We spent a little over an hour in a phone conversation with Kaleb,” Dieckhaus shared. Harvey used the phone conversation to help create the Eight Nine Eight cocktail menu, and his help didn’t stop there.
“Kaleb made a couple trips out to train our bartenders, and he made a video showing how to make each drink so we can use that to train future bartenders,” Dieckhaus shared.
Another stand out is the lemon-lavender martini, which is the same cocktail that’s on the menu at Harvey’s Coffee & Cocktails. The visually stunning drink is made with Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, house-made lavender syrup, lemon juice and is topped with a dehydrated lemon wheel. Dieckhaus calls the purple-hued drink “Instagram worthy.”
In addition to the cocktails, there’s also an extensive selection of bourbon and whiskey, a beer and wine list, as well as non-alcoholic beers, zero-proof spirits and soft drinks. Currently there aren’t food options available, but the team is still in talks about what type of options may be available in the future, with hosting food trucks to having charcuterie boards available as a couple of possibilities.
Although they’re passionate about cigars and spirits, neither owner has a background in the hospitality industry. Maune is a trained electrician and is employed full-time with Butler Supply, and Dieckhaus has a background in political consulting, as he previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives for four years.
The owners took their enthusiasm for cigars one step further and took the required coursework to become certified tobacconists. Another way Dieckhaus and Maune help people feel welcome in the space is through sharing their expertise with guests who want to try a cigar, but don’t have a lot of experience with selecting or preparing them. The team can also share about proper smoking technique, since unlike other forms of smoking, you don’t inhale a cigar when you partake.
“There’s something that’s almost therapeutic about sitting down with a cigar,” Maune said of the experience.
For those who have already established their love of cigars, the bar offers memberships, with members gaining access to temperature controlled lockers. The owners shared that so far the local response to the membership option has been strong.
“We’ve sold about half our member lockers within the first month of opening,” said Dieckhaus.
Find out more about the establishment, including its membership options, by following it on Facebook.
This article appears in August 2025.