Business Help!

[Back In The Day Cafe]

We're having a little trouble with opening our hookah lounge and we're looking for a little of whatever you want... advice, information, criticism (preferrably constructive but beggars can't be choosers). We have a business lawyer, and he's checked out all laws/clean air acts ect. in the state of Montana for us... I don't think there are any because you can still eat a steak with a pack of smokes in a family restaraunt and nobody cares, but that's another story. Anyway, we our already incorporated, and have presented a fairly comprehensive business plan to a few banks/financers missing one key element... a Profit And Loss statement. A "P&L" statement covers what a business like yours has made, and what they are standing to lose... this is important for the banks and the fat cats apparently so they can make a sound investment, but because most hookah lounges are owned privately (thank god because cookie cutter lounges would drive me nuts) all of this information is hard to get ahold of. I've read Mushrats opinions on starting a lounge and not going through banks, and I respect his wisdom and guidance very much, but we don't have much of a choice, I suppose we're going through the motions and exhausting all possibilities. Does anyone have any advice on obtaining any financial statistics? Or possibly willing to share some of their own? All information and comments are appreciated, and I hope to hear from everyone soon.

~Back In The Day Cafe

[PhishPhood]

I dont have any financial info but I suggest attempting to get a liquor license. It would be much more appealing to be able to have a beer with your hookah, then after that crowd leaves stay open and serve as a bar. If you would still like to have the hookah side of it all night, have a few small rooms off to the side, or some "hookah areas" that will be couches surrounding a table only for those smoking.

Also, remember the basics once you open... Always offer more coals, dont skimp on bowls, dont over charge. These things will piss people off and have them stop coming..


Good luck, and I hope you in all your successes can open one around me, then you can employ me


P.S I just though of this... How about for each little table/couch area you have a small speaker system rigged up so its just loud enough to be heard in that. That way, the people can bring their own CDs (within reason) and listen to what they like while they smoke. I gotta tell ya, this would sell me if I was sitting around deciding to go or not. I find the right music to be a huge part of the experience.

[r1v3th3ad]

We're having a little trouble with opening our hookah lounge and we're looking for a little of whatever you want... advice, information, criticism (preferrably constructive but beggars can't be choosers). We have a business lawyer, and he's checked out all laws/clean air acts ect. in the state of Montana for us... I don't think there are any because you can still eat a steak with a pack of smokes in a family restaraunt and nobody cares, but that's another story. Anyway, we our already incorporated, and have presented a fairly comprehensive business plan to a few banks/financers missing one key element... a Profit And Loss statement. A "P&L" statement covers what a business like yours has made, and what they are standing to lose... this is important for the banks and the fat cats apparently so they can make a sound investment, but because most hookah lounges are owned privately (thank god because cookie cutter lounges would drive me nuts) all of this information is hard to get ahold of. I've read Mushrats opinions on starting a lounge and not going through banks, and I respect his wisdom and guidance very much, but we don't have much of a choice, I suppose we're going through the motions and exhausting all possibilities. Does anyone have any advice on obtaining any financial statistics? Or possibly willing to share some of their own? All information and comments are appreciated, and I hope to hear from everyone soon.

~Back In The Day Cafe

For financial status...you could sell yourself
otherwise, once you get running, if you know people elsewhere you could try to franchise.

I dont have any financial info but I suggest attempting to get a liquor license. It would be much more appealing to be able to have a beer with your hookah, then after that crowd leaves stay open and serve as a bar. If you would still like to have the hookah side of it all night, have a few small rooms off to the side, or some "hookah areas" that will be couches surrounding a table only for those smoking.

Also, remember the basics once you open... Always offer more coals, dont skimp on bowls, dont over charge. These things will piss people off and have them stop coming..


Good luck, and I hope you in all your successes can open one around me, then you can employ me


P.S I just though of this... How about for each little table/couch area you have a small speaker system rigged up so its just loud enough to be heard in that. That way, the people can bring their own CDs (within reason) and listen to what they like while they smoke. I gotta tell ya, this would sell me if I was sitting around deciding to go or not. I find the right music to be a huge part of the experience.

I dig that idea, I gotta change the boxers over the idea of that

[mushrat]

PM sent....

[mushrat]

P.S I just though of this... How about for each little table/couch area you have a small speaker system rigged up so its just loud enough to be heard in that. That way, the people can bring their own CDs (within reason) and listen to what they like while they smoke. I gotta tell ya, this would sell me if I was sitting around deciding to go or not. I find the right music to be a huge part of the experience.

Pure fantasy...but keep dreaming. Can you imagine what a place with 30 different tables all playing different music would sound like? And do YOU wanna get stuck next to someone plating the music you can't stand the most?

Not to mention copyright problem and such...

It's yopur bar, you set the music. I do take requests at my place however...

[PhishPhood]

The one bar I go to has a small jukebox thing at each table. You throw some change in, pick your song and it goes into the main system without having to get up. Maybe something like that is more realistic.

[jfaltous]

Yeah a lot of the all-day-breakfast places around here have those... but they can get annoying as hell if you get some teenybopper girl going in putting all britney spears or some crap... imo take requests, and openly say so (on menus and what not), but don't give them too much control Also, those table top systems that hook into the main speakers seem to break a lot. 9 times out of 10 when I see them they're broken. Or perhaps not broken, but "broken" so that the people working there don't suffer