A Question That Will Plague The Ages

[HookahSalam]

Hi I am new to the forum, doing some research, hoping to open A hookah cafe in the town I am currently living in if everything goes well and need opinions.

Price considered what do all of you feel is the best tobacco?

I ordered some Starbuzz though I hear mixed reviews about it, ordered some Fantasia hear similar to the starbuzz, I have smoked my lungs out for several years with Alfakher and enjoy it, and hear good things about Tangiers...but which would be best to sell an establishment? (Naturally I am going to try every brand I can aswell)

[freeOS]

Hi I am new to the forum, doing some research, hoping to open A hookah cafe in the town I am currently living in if everything goes well and need opinions.

Price considered what do all of you feel is the best tobacco?

I ordered some Starbuzz though I hear mixed reviews about it, ordered some Fantasia hear similar to the starbuzz, I have smoked my lungs out for several years with Alfakher and enjoy it, and hear good things about Tangiers...but which would be best to sell an establishment? (Naturally I am going to try every brand I can aswell)

Everyone will say different things

Take your pick but stay away from the worst of the bunch and you should be fine.

*personal worst for many is hookah-hookah and hookah freak.

[Moefasaaa]

Well, price considered, Nakhla's great and very cheap...SB + Fantasia are a bit overpriced.

[Charley]

Nakhla is cheap and very well liked

Star Buzz is a bit out of my price range and i can not justify buying it because of that but it seems to be very popular at hookah lounges

tangiers is great if you can get it to smoke well (your climate will make a difference on how it smokes.)

for herbal I would stay way from black label

soex would probably be your best bet but honestly it is nasty

I would recommend saalaam but it dose not really seem to cost effective considering I can only find it in 50G samplers

what ever you do do not serve hookah-hookah or hookah freak they are just plain nasty and only ppl who have never smoked before will (for the most part) buy it (then they will more than likely never try hookah again lol)

[Arcane]

its best to carry a variety of brands...people have different tastes and i think to be pretty successful, you should try to appeal to most of your clientele. don't try to appeal to everyone and carry everything, but after a while...you'll begin to notice which brands get more and more requests...then stock up on those...

[juice]

Ask FSUReligionMan

HEY -OOOOO

[Vladimir]

Are you talking for stocking to sell, or for loading hookahs with?

For loading, I would personally do a two-tiered system. My friends and I frequently smoked the cheap stuff, and we also frequently paid the $2 or so to upgrade to the "premium" (to this day I don't know what they were actually loading with).

For the lower tier I would look at Nakhla, AF, and Al Waha. For the premium stuff I would look at Starbuzz, Tangiers, and maybe Fusion.

I would personally not carry just one flavor, but find the best of each. Don't do all Al Waha because sure their Guava and Watermelon are great, but their lemon-mint and licorice are terrible. Few brands are good all across the board.

For selling, stock as much as you can. Personally I would like a shop to have rotating stock. Try not to stock the same thing constantly. Find your flavors that ALWAYS sell well, these will probably be like mint, chocolate-mint, watermelon, etc and keep those stocked in the popular brands. Otherwise rotate flavors in and out, nothing is worse than a shop with a boring standard same-ol same-ol supply. And what makes it boring? The fact that its the same stock as always. Keep it rotating and your customers who like trying new things will keep coming back regularly.

EDIT: Rotate some flavors in on the loading to. And personally, advertise what it is! I'm sure my place didn't because they were SO expensive (about $18 for a smoke) they probably didn't want you to know what they were loading it with. If you do a two tiered say "these brands" are lower tier and "these brands" are premium - tell people what they are smoking! This will also help you sell product that is in store.

Keep a hookah going maybe if you are selling stuff, put some nice slow-selling flavors in there and when someone walks in hand them a tip and offer them a taste of it. This will help you move some of the slower-moving product (assuming you can get it to taste good of course lol). Edited June 11, 2009 by Vladimir

[delSol_si]

Do your customers a favor and stay away from Soex, hookahhookah, and Jewel.

Layalina is pretty good in my book. Edited June 11, 2009 by delSol_si

[Matt-641]

The hookah lounge I used to go to would have Laylina, which was good, but it dries out too quickly imo.

I'd say Nahklah is good for something inexpensive and tasty, or AF would be about as much and probably last a little longer without drying out as fast from my experience.

SB and Fantasia are really good, but can be pretty expensive, so looking at it for buisness, it might not be the best thing since you'd probably have to raise your prices as opposed to if you used a cheaper brand. But it's all up to you which brand you'd want to go with, either way, GL with the lounge.

[Zinite]

Nakhla because they have good flavors for pennies on the dollar compared to Starbuzz. Tangiers because it is the highest quality tobacco I have had the pleasure of using (you'll know what I mean if you have successfully used it).

[Arcane]

oh...and i forgot to answer your first question. price:performance for a lounge - i'd go with Nakhla. personal use: tangiers.

unless you intend to reuse unburned but previously smoked shisha in your lounge:

[Rani]

Hi I am new to the forum, doing some research, hoping to open A hookah cafe in the town I am currently living in if everything goes well and need opinions.

Price considered what do all of you feel is the best tobacco?

I ordered some Starbuzz though I hear mixed reviews about it, ordered some Fantasia hear similar to the starbuzz, I have smoked my lungs out for several years with Alfakher and enjoy it, and hear good things about Tangiers...but which would be best to sell an establishment? (Naturally I am going to try every brand I can aswell)

You're going to get lots of personal opinions and all of them are worthless for one simple reason. It's no longer a matter of personal taste. It's a business now, so even your own personal preferences mean nothing. It's a matter of giving a customer what they want. I always felt that hookah bars should have a complete selection spread among brands and that the cost should vary with the brand. Starbuzz bowls should cost more than Nakla bowls. You don't walk into a restaurant and expect to pay the same for fried chicken as filet mignon, do you? That's not to say Starbuzz is filet mignon, but it costs more to stock therefore it should cost more to smoke in the bar. Why not a menu just like a restaurant?

Since you're dealing with the public and not you own tastes, I'd start with the single flavors at the majority and then go with combined or mixed flavors and there's going to be some trial and error in the beginning because you're going to have to modify your selection based on the tastes of your particular customer base in your particular area.

'Rani

[lowspeedchase]

Ask FSUReligionMan

HEY -OOOOO

I see what you did there.

On a related note:

[HookahSalam]

Wow thank you everyone all very helpful :-) I was mulling over the idea with some AF melon I have had for a longtime and it was still very fresh....maybe try large flavor variety with it and a small variety of the Fantasia or Star, I have honsetly never tried either so I am curios to see what they are like when they arrive next week, with an acrylic hookah hate to have anything not glass but i want to see if they really are easier to clean.

And one more thing...could I get some opinions on like the exotic wood coals vs. japanese coals

[mjdx88]

Stick with AF and Nak, its cheap and great. Starbuzz and Fant are going to ether drive up your prices or kill your profits. Tang you need to make sure you pack your bowl right every time. Order a ton of real phunnels. you have nak for people who want a good buzz and af for the flavor selection. Most people coming through are not to care or know what you are giving them. Make sure you have nat coals and great customer service. Thats what keeps me coming back to a local place. I own a hookah but because the place is nice, good food and packs a bowl right im happy to keep going.

[Arcane]

unless you're stocking tangiers, i don't really see the need for the phunnel. then again, i don't own a hookah lounge...so, i'm not sure the cost of a couple dozen extra bowls will benefit you...

[delSol_si]

Hi I am new to the forum, doing some research, hoping to open A hookah cafe in the town I am currently living in if everything goes well and need opinions.

Price considered what do all of you feel is the best tobacco?

I ordered some Starbuzz though I hear mixed reviews about it, ordered some Fantasia hear similar to the starbuzz, I have smoked my lungs out for several years with Alfakher and enjoy it, and hear good things about Tangiers...but which would be best to sell an establishment? (Naturally I am going to try every brand I can aswell)

You're going to get lots of personal opinions and all of them are worthless for one simple reason. It's no longer a matter of personal taste. It's a business now, so even your own personal preferences mean nothing. It's a matter of giving a customer what they want. I always felt that hookah bars should have a complete selection spread among brands and that the cost should vary with the brand. Starbuzz bowls should cost more than Nakla bowls. You don't walk into a restaurant and expect to pay the same for fried chicken as filet mignon, do you? That's not to say Starbuzz is filet mignon, but it costs more to stock therefore it should cost more to smoke in the bar. Why not a menu just like a restaurant?

Since you're dealing with the public and not you own tastes, I'd start with the single flavors at the majority and then go with combined or mixed flavors and there's going to be some trial and error in the beginning because you're going to have to modify your selection based on the tastes of your particular customer base in your particular area.

'Rani

No offense Rani, but I think him asking us what flavors and brands to order is exactly what he needs to do. Our opinions do matter. People like us are going to be his customers. So why not ask the people who are going to be most like your potential customers what they want? I do agree that he needs to cater to what his customers want, but I think this is great place to start. And I do agree with the wide variety.

[delSol_si]

unless you're stocking tangiers, i don't really see the need for the phunnel. then again, i don't own a hookah lounge...so, i'm not sure the cost of a couple dozen extra bowls will benefit you...

I smoke non-tangiers baccy out of my phunnel all the time. I feel the tangiers phunnel is superb to an egyptian clay bowl for all baccys, not just tangiers baccy.

[Arcane]

unless you're stocking tangiers, i don't really see the need for the phunnel. then again, i don't own a hookah lounge...so, i'm not sure the cost of a couple dozen extra bowls will benefit you...

I smoke non-tangiers baccy out of my phunnel all the time. I feel the tangiers phunnel is superb to an egyptian clay bowl for all baccys, not just tangiers baccy.

i'm not saying other brands won't work with a phunnel. i'm saying, if you can get a great smoke out of an egyptian...why spend another couple hundred dollars on bowls that you don't NEED?

you can also get great smoke from tangiers out of an egyptian...it's just easier to pack it in a phunnel. so, again...why spend money on something you don't NEED? it's a business after all...quality, loyalty and profit should be your main goals...

[delSol_si]

unless you're stocking tangiers, i don't really see the need for the phunnel. then again, i don't own a hookah lounge...so, i'm not sure the cost of a couple dozen extra bowls will benefit you...

I smoke non-tangiers baccy out of my phunnel all the time. I feel the tangiers phunnel is superb to an egyptian clay bowl for all baccys, not just tangiers baccy.

i'm not saying other brands won't work with a phunnel. i'm saying, if you can get a great smoke out of an egyptian...why spend another couple hundred dollars on bowls that you don't NEED?

you can also get great smoke from tangiers out of an egyptian...it's just easier to pack it in a phunnel. so, again...why spend money on something you don't NEED? it's a business after all...quality, loyalty and profit should be your main goals...

Ok, I see what you are talking about. BUT, I have never been able to get as good of a quality session out of my egyptian bowl as I can with my phunnel...though like you said, might not be worth the extra money when you are just starting business...may be one of those later purchases.

[Arcane]

Ok, I see what you are talking about. BUT, I have never been able to get as good of a quality session out of my egyptian bowl as I can with my phunnel...though like you said, might not be worth the extra money when you are just starting business...may be one of those later purchases.

y'know what? for a long time, i stuck with just the phunnel for everything...even my first bowl with packed in an MNH mini glass phunnel...i didn't start using my egyptian till a couple months ago...and its great when i'm running low on a certain flavor and need to get the most sessions out of it.

[delSol_si]

Ok, I see what you are talking about. BUT, I have never been able to get as good of a quality session out of my egyptian bowl as I can with my phunnel...though like you said, might not be worth the extra money when you are just starting business...may be one of those later purchases.

y'know what? for a long time, i stuck with just the phunnel for everything...even my first bowl with packed in an MNH mini glass phunnel...i didn't start using my egyptian till a couple months ago...and its great when i'm running low on a certain flavor and need to get the most sessions out of it.

Point taken man, point taken. I do bring my egyptian out in those cases. Either that or when I am running out of coals since my egyptian takes less coals. I guess I am just saying under normal circumstance when you have plenty of supplies, phunnel works better for me. That is, of course. WITH the tea light mod.

Edit: actually, I tell you what, I made a mod for my phunnel awhile back. It was a mix between a shisha saver screen scalli made up and the tea light mod. I use this when running out of a flavor now. It works great! Gives me a great session and takes very little baccy.

Edited June 11, 2009 by delSol_si

[Arcane]

Ok, I see what you are talking about. BUT, I have never been able to get as good of a quality session out of my egyptian bowl as I can with my phunnel...though like you said, might not be worth the extra money when you are just starting business...may be one of those later purchases.

y'know what? for a long time, i stuck with just the phunnel for everything...even my first bowl with packed in an MNH mini glass phunnel...i didn't start using my egyptian till a couple months ago...and its great when i'm running low on a certain flavor and need to get the most sessions out of it.

Point taken man, point taken. I do bring my egyptian out in those cases. Either that or when I am running out of coals since my egyptian takes less coals. I guess I am just saying under normal circumstance when you have plenty of supplies, phunnel works better for me. That is, of course. WITH the tea light mod.

Edit: actually, I tell you what, I made a mod for my phunnel awhile back. It was a mix between a shisha saver screen scalli made up and the tea light mod. I use this when running out of a flavor now. It works great! Gives me a great session and takes very little baccy.

i agree, the phunnel usually gives me better sessions too. except without the mod, it makes the draw a bit too tight for my tastes....