| What the Client Needed | What I Delivered |
|---|---|
| The Client Needed: An appealing online presence | I Delivered: Brand-aligned user interface mimicking the lounge interior |
| The Client Needed: A way to showcase the vast selection of products | I Delivered: Next.js static catalog with full-text search, filtering, & pagination |
| The Client Needed: A way to keep selection up-to-date without touching code | I Delivered: GitHub-driven Content Management System and automated Vercel deployment |
Public Catalog
Knowing the Audience
Most regulars are 35+ cigar and pipe enthusiasts who value straightforward interfaces.
The site therefore leans on large, high-contrast typography, predictable navigation, and full keyboard access. Alt-text, proper headings, and ARIA patterns ensure the website it accessible to all
The Problem
With no live catalog, the lounge's surprisingly wide selection of premium cigars was completely invisible to search engines.
Staff fielded many availability calls, and prospective customers had no sense of the lounge’s vast selection.
The Solution
A Next.js-powered static site reads a structured JSON catalog at build time and renders product pages with full-text search.
[
{
"Brand": "Arturo Fuente",
"Cigar Name": "Cazadores",
"Wrapper": "Ecuadorian Habano",
"Binder": "...",
...
"Sizes": [
...
],
"slug": "arturo-fuente-cazadores"
},
...
]For a cohesive brand experience, the site's color palette mimics the interior of the lounge:
In addition, the site features a live embedded Facebook feed for real-time specials and events, eliminating the need for the staff to manually post updates on both the site and social media.
Key Features
- Live catalog with multi-facet filters and search
- Mobile-first, accessible layout (large type, high contrast)
- Embedded Facebook feed for real-time specials & events
- Product detail pages generated from slug-based directories with SEO-optimized meta tags
- Automated version control: every catalog change is a Git commit
Outcome
- 24 / 7 product discovery; fewer “Do you carry …?” calls
- Foot traffic bump reported by the owner within the first month
- Website appears in Google search results for queries like "Arturo Fuente Cazadores near me"
From the Client
It looks really good, it's easy to navigate [and] find what I'm looking for, and it puts into perspective the huge range of products we have.
Custom CMS
The Problem
Updating the JSON catalog required emailing spreadsheets to me; I ran scripts, deduped entries, and pushed to GitHub, which was all a very painful bottleneck.
The Solution
I delivered a private, Git-backed CMS tailor-made for cigar data:
- Visual editor for adding/editing SKUs with schema validation
- Image uploads via Vercel Blob Storage
- Batch price updates and “undo” history via Git commits
- Auth-protected admin area; deploy previews on every PR
Outcome
- Hundreds of SKUs managed in-house; updates deploy in seconds
- Every change is tracked, reversible, and automatically triggers a rebuild
From the Client
This makes it so much easier to keep track of cigars. Everything makes sense, and it only takes a minute to update our prices, whereas before it would take an hour!
Operational Costs
Hosting runs $20 / month on Vercel. The platform comes with a free database and CDN for images and other assets. Github is free for open-source projects.
Reflection
This project proves how a static site coupled with Git-driven content can feel dynamic without server bloat.
If I were to expand it further, I'd consider:
- Using Tailwind for styling. This is my first big project, and I've learned a lot about design since then.
- Role-based access control for the admin area
- Content-editable landing banners so staff can highlight events in seconds
Need a custom CMS or catalog for your business? Let’s work together