Stop in to say hello, have a cigar, enjoy a favorite cocktail.
“If you’ve had a bad day, we want you to stop in so we can make it better. And, if you’ve had a great day, we want to celebrate with you,” Sam says. “No matter the day, we look forward to seeing you soon.”
Meet Sam and Brooke
Making connections with people is what drive Sam and Brooke Souhail, owners of Casablanca Cigar Bar in Asheville and Hendersonville, and the Wall Street Market (originally Tobacco Plus). The couple met in Durham, NC while working at an Italian restaurant and well – the rest is what dreams are made of – and not pipe dreams either. They married in 2008 and have been partners in life as well as business ever since. Brooke and Sam have three children and, daily, pass along their strong work ethic about what it takes to achieve the American Dream.
Together, Sam and Brooke make an incredible team. Sam is more the face of the business and is often out front talking with customers while Brooke is hard at work behind the scenes.
They’re most proud of the core of their business – their employees – who have become like family – some of whom have been with them since the beginning.
Sam Souhail
Originally from Morocco, Sam has been in the U.S. for nearly 20 years. He came here because he saw it as “the land of opportunity” and dreamed of having his own business one day. When he first arrived in the country, he worked a variety of jobs ranging from restaurant work to retail – all while learning English. Today, he’s mastered the language and speaks Spanish, French and Arabic too. One of his jobs was in a tobacco shop. He enjoyed helping customers and learning about their likes and dislikes. He was quickly inspired to take this concept to the next level.
His business philosophy? “I don’t follow what I want, I just follow what the customer wants,” he says.
Since launching his first business – Tobacco Plus (now Wall Street Market) – he’s learned everything there is to know about the industry and continues to evolve and improve their products and experience based on customer input, education and pure perseverance.
Brooke Souhail
Brooke is a North Carolina native and a self-motivated business woman. Brooke prides herself on learning on the job, thinking on her feet, facing challenges head on and not being afraid to tackle whatever comes her way. She knows how important it is to understand the business from the ground up and wears multiple hats on a daily basis.
A self-described planner, she works on everything from ecommerce site development and business plans to fielding tech support questions and working on building and strengthening their business’ team.
She has a degree in Culinary Arts which has helped in the cigar business to better understand and appreciate the nuances of taste. Her favorite cigar? Don Carlos #3. She says it’s a perfect medium.
When she’s not working, she’s busy getting their three kids off to school and planning the next family trip – traveling is a personal passion – and she and Sam have traveled extensively throughout Europe and spend a good deal of time visiting Sam’s family in Morocco. She says her French is poor, but her Arabic has gotten good enough to keep her out of trouble.