TIFTON — A city council member is getting hands-on in his efforts to support and enrich the downtown area.

Downtown Tifton recently saw the addition of cigar lounge Downtown on Main to its gallery of businesses, an establishment brought about through the work of Tifton city council member and business owner Lester Cromer.

Marketing itself as a “premier cigar experience,” the new business celebrated its grand opening July 11 after more than two years of development.

Cromer, familiar with the cigar culture himself, explained he wanted to open Downtown on Main to introduce that culture to the local community, and that as the councilman overseeing the Downtown Tifton district, he felt a responsibility to nurture the area through founding a business of his own.

“I felt that I needed to step up, put a business here as well,” he said. “Kind of lead the way of bringing more businesses downtown.”

The lounge offers a variety of mixed drinks alongside its cigars, including multiple flavors of the Old Fashioned — a particular cocktail Cromer insists is the essential compliment to a cigar — including blackberry, honey, strawberry, and grapefruit.

While the establishment is open to the public, Downtown on Main also provides the option of a membership program with special benefits, including access to a private upstairs space, personal storage lockers, discounts, and member-only events.

One such event took place the Saturday after the grand opening, in which the lounge invited its members to take part in a black tie and red carpet celebration. Cromer stated that the formality of the event was intended to set a precedent for the type of establishment he wanted Downtown on Main to be.

The council member also expressed an interest in franchising the business, announcing that he had been looking into locations in two other cities, with plans to have both up and running sometime between the start of 2026 and next summer.

Downtown on Main is located at 214 Main St. and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, contact (229) 396-4555.