Jon David Cole

Jon David Cole is a tobacconist, master blender, and podcast producer known for reviving a long-standing tobacco shop in the American South. His name is linked to The Country Squire, which opened in 1970 in Jackson, the capital of Mississippi; the shop is counted among the region's storied and still-active tobacconists.

Arrival at the Shop and Ownership

Born and raised in Mississippi, Cole worked in finance and real estate before turning to tobacco; according to accounts, he left these fields to enroll at a seminary in Jackson. His path crossed with the shop in 2011: founder Gwen Reeves hired him part time, and he was drawn into the business before completing his studies.

Records indicate that Reeves's death in 2012 left the business to her daughter Kim Owen, with management handed to Cole. The following years were spent gathering and restoring a shop that had stood in the same place for a long time but had fallen out of favor. Cole took over the entire business from Owen in 2016, becoming sole owner.

Blending

Cole's primary reputation comes from the house blends prepared under the shop's name. The shop has more than twenty-five blends bearing its own name, based largely on varying proportions of established components such as Virginia, Latakia, and Cavendish. Cole has also given blending classes in various American cities and taken part in joint blending projects with other manufacturers. He is reported to hold a certified retailer credential in the tobacco trade and to have been recognized with an honorary title by collector associations for his contributions to pipe culture.

Broadcasting and Community

In 2013, Cole co-founded the podcast Country Squire Radio with a producing partner. The pipe-centered talk-and-news program has reached hundreds of episodes over more than a decade. The show's visibility has also changed the shop's surroundings: Jackson has become a destination not only for local enthusiasts but for pipe devotees from far-off countries as well. Visits from Australia, Japan, Italy, and South Africa are frequently cited examples of this interest. Cole has also appeared as a guest and co-host on other publications in the industry.

In 2025 it was announced that the shop would move to a larger space in the same area; the new location is reported to include plans for a members' lounge and expanded seating. Cole's work is regarded as a current example of how briar pipe culture can be kept alive in America through retail and broadcasting.