Cuban Sandwich Eating Competition is Served at J.C. Newman Cigar Co.
Maybe Tampa will be home to the next international eating contest like Nathan’s Hot Dogs. The JC Newman cigar at the factory on 16th St. in Ybor City, sponsored the first annual Cuban sandwich-eating contest on Saturday as part of its fourth Founders Day. The first Founder’s Day was celebrated on the company’s 125th anniversary four years ago. This year, in honor of Ybor City and a favorite meal of cigar factory workers, the company decided to sponsor a Cuban sandwich-eating contest. It was held in their Cigar Workers' Park, an area constructed by the company to honor the legacy of laborers who produced their product for over a century.
Champion eater Nick Wehry concentrates during the challenge
Miki Suda, World Champion eater, competes in the Cuban Sandwich Challenge
Contender Drew Garabo, persoanlity on 102.5 The Bone, eats a Cuban sandwich during the competition
Fourth generation Drew Newman emcees the Cuban Sandwich eating contest
Competitors included married world champion eaters Nick Wehry and Miki Sudo and local radio personality Drew Garabo from 102.5 The Bone. Wehry and Sudo, known as the Hungry Couple, are from Pasco County and travel the world competing. Garabo claims to be a Cuban sandwich aficionado. A fourth competitor, a former Newman employee, was scheduled to contend but did not show up.
Hundreds gathered in Cigar Workers Park to see the first annual Cuban sandwich eating contest
Across the street from the factory is the Cigar Workers Park, where the Cuban sandwich contest took place
Before the contest, a stack of Cuban sandwiches, each about half the size of a typical sandwich, is placed on trays with glasses of water next to each eater. They are given eight minutes to cram as many of the sammies down their gullets as possible. As the competition heats up, a referee gives a play-by-play over the PA. While Garabo gave it a valiant effort, he only managed to down three sections. At one point, he turned his back to the audience and walked to the back of the stage, looking like he might hurl, which would’ve disqualified him. He didn’t, but he never really stood a chance against the champions.
Wehry’s technique looks well-practiced. With his muscular body and legit pink-gold mohawk hair, he starts with a few bites, chews for a few seconds, and then fills his mouth with water to help wash it all down. His eyes are closed for most of the contest, and his body moves as if he has a song playing in his head. After several swallows, he wriggles and dances, especially his midsection, as if to help each bite descend. The veins in his forehead begin to bulge as he eats more and more, and I recognize that my fellow photographers and I are in the spew zone if someone projectile vomits. Bite after bite, sandwich after sandwich, eight minutes must seem like a lifetime. While Sudo gives Wehry a run for his money, he winds up with the gold championship belt after packing in 22 Cubans!
Nick downs 22 sandwiches for the win!
The winner of the first Cuban sandwich eating contest Nick Wehry poses with his championship belt
Bread on the Bay provided 500 Cuban sandwiches to the public, but they were gobbled up quickly! However, Mama’s Taco Truck served the goodies outside. Of course, many cigars were on hand, inside and out, with a smoking section outside under the trees. The event also consisted of factory tours, nickel cigars, and vendors from various area organizations.
Founders Day attendees watch as skilled workers hand roll each cigar
Cigar roller Angel samples his work
The third floor of the El Reloj houses the hand rolling operation
The last known bale of pre-embargo Cuban tobacco is stored in the basement of El Relo
Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America. Four generations of Newmans have helped direct Tampa's last hand-rolled cigar factory. The history of their accomplishments is celebrated throughout the building. The basement is full of decades-old cigars, the last known bail of pre-embargo (1962) Cuban tobacco, and is where the “aging room” is located, where 60,000 cigars sit for about a year to cure and mellow before being sold. The second floor has cigar-making machinery, and the third floor houses the hand-rolling operation, where eight skilled workers cut, press, and roll the stogies. They are also encouraged to smoke some of the product, not just for enjoyment but also for quality control. Each worker's output averages 60 – 80 cigars daily, limiting the number of hand-made cigars annually and bringing a premium price. They are distributed in 40 outlets around the country. Their machine-rolled product is much more widely sold.
Some of the 60,000 cigars in the aging room
Brothers Bobby and Eric Newman, left, laugh with champions Nick Wehry and Miki Sudo, with Drew Newman and son on the right
The J.C. Newman Cigar Company, headquartered in the 113-year-old “El Reloj” factory, is open for tours three times a day, Monday through Friday. Anyone interested in Tampa's history and the foundation of Ybor City, owes it to themselves to visit.
El Reloj- Home of the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory