Starting a Hookah Lounge

[Scalliwag]

I read through this fairly quickly and did not notice if anyone brought this up or not. On the first post you said that you were not ging to serve alcohol or food (I noticed the food changed somewhat) but a hookah lounge seems like they almost have to have alcohol (at least to get me there and keep me there)
I am pretty sure that in Texas you can have BYOB without a permit. You would want to make sure to card people if you are going to allow that because I believe you would be liable if someone under age drank alcohol in your place.
Places that allow BYOB are very popular. You can charge a higher cover charge because you are letting them bring their own. Provide an ice chest and free ice since that is very cheap to provide and makes it very convenient.
As a matter of fact you could probably find a wholesaler with cheap styrofoam ice chests that you could get your advertisement on the side and let the patrons have one for a couple of bucks to take any excess when they leave.
When they take it to picnics, swimming pools, etc. and there is a pic of a hookah on the side with your info would probably get some attention once enough get distributed. Since that is advertising you can write that off on taxes too.
Depending on how popular and lucrative it became you may want to keep it BYOB or get a liquour license. But you may want to use caution there because if you go from BYOB to house provided you could lose customers. I would figure charging people $10 each on the cover and give them punch cards for free cover every 5 visits. Make the place fun, cheap, and friendly with great service and you should be able to keep the place packed.
Oh, and BELLY DANCERS rock (in all kinds of ways) The place in Virginia I went to had one on one of the nights I went and that was pretty damn hot! I live in Fort Worth so if you openone I will make a road trip to see you.

[biglandy71]

The whole people talking during the movie could be a problem. I think I will try it a couple of weeks or so and see how it goes. Also the how serving alcohol is not going to happen but BYOB could work but I might not go that rout because it could lead to more problems then it is worth.

[MrGuy]

extractor fans?
Ikea for all ur furnishing needs! lol. i think laether would be good, something cosey and snuggle, like big armchairs or long sofa's or something. lots of red for some reason, i dont know why, but i invision the perfect hookah lounge with lots of reds and dark reds with some ambient oriental msic and big puffy sofa's and chairs. all gently lit, no windows! that's just my idea of a perfect hookah lounge, other may and prolly will, vary.

[Lazy Dayz]

movies seem to work ok for us, regardless of their legality...the problem i have with metal screens is they take longer to heat up.  they also don't have a good air tight seal, making the smoke a little looser.  one of the gigantic rolls of foil lasts so long and is so cheap it really won't save you as much as you think.any heavy duty air conditioner could do the job, unless you have over 75 people all smoking.  you HAVE to change the filter on the regular though, or your air conditioner won't love you any more and will stop working.  we have a wimpy air conditioner with only 1 return and 1 vent for the whole place, which is our problem (that and not having enough money to replace it).  ventilation is very expensive, be careful with it.

[Scalliwag]

[quote=biglandy71]
The whole people talking during the movie could be a problem. I think I will try it a couple of weeks or so and see how it goes. Also the how serving alcohol is not going to happen but BYOB could work but I might not go that rout because it could lead to more problems then it is worth.

[biglandy71]

Thank you for starting the poll.

[MrGuy]

Hmmm, i think you really need to pin down what sort of image you are going for. i think it would be hard to pull off belly dancers, movies and music with paper plates

[40 Thieves]

We custom made the bench seating in our lounge (55') with flush tables between each bench on the N wall - slate tile; surrounded by pillars, lined w/ animal skin plush pillows. The benches are vinyle which make them a snap to patch if a burn whole appears. The rest is slate and teraccota bistro seating. Low light recessed in ceiling and some pendant lighting with red cones above benches- track lighting above bar. Color theme is mainly brown and sand w/ red accents (pillows, drapes etc). tinted 7ft windows w/ cherry wood blinds. 10' dj booth with A/V equiptment. Videos are played on lcd's above bar and dj booth but they are ambience to the world raggae music we play.  22' total fee of  bar w/ stools and a pool table. No carpet - stained chocolate brown concrete floor. We open this weekend and I can't wait! I'll have pictures posted soon promise (http://www.40thievesonline.com)
No food - drinks, hookah and a damn nice place I busted my ars off for.

[biglandy71]

I WANT PICUTERS NOW! its sounds great. how long did it take you to get it ready?
picturrrrrrrrrrrrres

[MrGuy]

you pretty much described my ideal hookah bar. shame you're a few thousand miles away:(

[40 Thieves]

With full time jobs my partner and I cranked this together in approx 45 days. We had some great friends from some contractor friends of mine though. Finishing the last paint application tonight. Place looks great - As soon as I post you guys will know. Thanks.

[40 Thieves]

All right, promised some pictures - here are some pics of the lounge without the signage, decorations or tv's. We've the got the audio system in and we had a little soft open party for some close friends and fam. Enjoy!!
 
Grand Opening 7-22-06 7pm
 
[url="http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen01.jpg"]http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen01.jpg
http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/pre...n/preopen02.jpg[/url]://http://www.40thievesonline.com/preo...eopen02.jpg://http://www.40thievesonline.com/preo...eopen02.jpg
[url="http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen03.jpg"]http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen03.jpg[/url]
[url="http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen04.jpg"]http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen04.jpg[/url]
[url="http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/preopen05.jpg%5b/url"]]http://www.40thievesonline.com/preopen/pre...pen05.jpg[/url]://http://www.40thievesonline.com/preo.....pen05.jpg
 
 

[slayman1]

Hi,Im sam from Sydney,Australia and I have to say that 40 thieves,you've done a great job.I hope all is going well for you.Im trying to open a hookah lounge myself and am in the process of getting some ideas and some help.

[cafedelmar]

Near my university there is a Bubble Tea shop which is extremely popular, and a great place to go to chill out. The business model is near perfect, and if they served shisha I'd be there every week.It's a small place, you go in and order your bubble tea and appetizers, pay for it all, then have a seat. Someone will bring your stuff to you when it's ready. There's even a waiting area if you're taking food out.Once you're inside, there lots of individual tables with various numbers of charis and of various lengths depending on your party size. Some of them are more out in the open while others are more private. There are also a couple of foozball tables around for those interested. The best part though, is the bookshelves filled with board games. You go in, grab one while you wait for your order to be brought to you and begin to play. You can have hours of fun with Risk, Boulderdash, or Monopoly; or play a quick game of connect four or checkers. Boardgames are one of the most fun things to do, and this is probably the most memorable thing about the place.But overall it's an extremely relaxed atmosphere. If you want to order something else, you go to the front and order. One BIG advantage of this is the lack of mix up at the end. I've noticed, especially at Hookah Lounges, that the orders tend to get mixed up a lot and then arguments about bills follow. You're sitting there for 2-3 hours, and as you order over time either you or the server forgets something or the server adds something from the table next to you to your bill. Chances are the business loses out, either by having to give that away free to both parties, or by losing a repeat customer. Paying at the front avoids this problem. And you can still have a server going around, passing out coals and what not. Maybe the same person who gives the orders out once they are made.I know that it's not a Hookah lounge, but the concept can easily be applied to one. It works well, and the place is always full - everyone on campus also loves it. The place is designed such that with a little bit of re-arrangement you can host a private function there, maybe a get together of your university club or what not, and everyone can mingle, as well as sit with a few of their closer friends. If I were to start a lounge I think I'd do it similar to this one. I've always had a bit of a problem with actual hookah lounges, but mainly that's dealing with the attitude of the lounge owners - they always seem to have an attitude and be stubborn. This place is very different. You can check out their website for more info though: [url="http://www.qqteashop.com/index.html"]http://www.qqteashop.com/index.html[/url]If only they had shisha on the menu :)On a side note, for music selection, I would suggest something along the lines of Buddha Bar, Nitin Sawhney, Cafe Del Mar, Jack Johnson, and stuff like that for the background on regular nights. But I mean you can play anything from Coldplay to Talib Kweli depending on the song. Just make sure it has a relaxed feel to it. (Thieves in the Night by Black Star is Hip Hop, but it's amazing while you smoke.) I heard someone say Blink 182 in this thread, but man, that's definitely NOT lounge tunesAs for decor, when I get back to campus, I'll take some pictures of our Vegan Cafe. The first time I walked into that place, it was screaming out hookah lounge atmosphere . You can't really see the low tables and ottomans in this pic, but it gives an idea:[img]http://hospitality.mcmaster.ca/muhs%20pictures/DSC00161.jpg[/img]

[malakas]

Just have to say congrats and good luck on the endeavor. Have you also considered having a small outdoor patio are at your lounge? I LOVE smoking outside, especially when it's sunset/just after!

[Ghelyoon]

Don't know why this came up after a month but thought I share.like people said ventilation is a must.And for the music dilemma, play different types each day of the week, and ask people how they liked it, after a while you'll know which kind of music is the best.Variety is good so you won't bore your regulars.personally im all for mellow music.About your theme, I think you should go with Modern considering you are close to a college and nowadays everyone smokes hookah not just people from hookah-smoking cultures (personally I like traditional though)oh and one more thing treat people respectfully and try to get to know them and maybe cut them a deal every once in a while ... thats how you get people to come backanyhow wish you all the best

[ghostofdavid]

Don't ask for IDs. I wouldn't go to a place that did that, because of fraud. I also would not go to a place that sold predominatly junk food. I can eat that kind of stuff at home (but I don't). Do be as warm and genuine as possible. Remember your customers who give you repeat business. Nothing gives customers a warm feeling like you remembering who they are. If they are good patrons, let that reflect in their bill by giving them discounts or the occasional free hookah session. The local hookah lounge here gives you a free hookah with every buffet purchase Monday-Thursday at dinner. This is nice, but their service is less than desirable. Refills are never given, the free hookahs they give you to use are not as nice as the ones you get if you order a hookah during lunch or on a weekend buffet meal (except for the last time I went, they gave me a lame hookah). Price: $12.95 for buffet for dinner.

[Anpu]

I'm also thinking about starting my own Lounge in Vegas. I'm in a good position to do so and have a passion for Hookah. There are about 2 lounges in Vegas for the 18+ crowd and they charge rediculous prices. The info is very good and I wish the starter of the thread luck in his endeavor.  One thing I'd like to add is that I'd suggest using natural coals. It's much easier for you to use naturals and set up a small pit in the back and just throw a few pounds in there and have runners getting enough to serve customers from back there. The cone-shaped carriers people were talking about are what my local lounges use and they work quite well (just make sure your coal runners are VERY careful about not burning customers, I've seen a spark fly out of one and burn someone before at my local lounge).  It's not much work and makes for a cleaner smoke, not to mention 'unprocessed' natural coals are loads cheaper than 3kings. Also, for music, the most enjoyable atmosphere was a mix of Arabic Pop and Hip-hop played on at least one very large screen where most/all can see and a couple smaller ones mounted up in corners. Drinks, well... like they said Tea is always good. Coffee, Arabic Coffee, energy drinks, etc. are all good things to have available to your clientel. Oh, and if you find it doesn't cost you anything extra to have a vailable, food, whatever it is, is better than no food and will keep some customers there longer and have them spend more.

[Ben5082]

For all of you starting new hookah bars, feel free to message me with the info when they open for business.Ben[url="http://www.hookah-bars.com"]www.hookah-bars.com[/url]

[Anpu]

[quote name='Ben5082']For all of you starting new hookah bars, feel free to message me with the info when they open for business.  Ben[url="http://www.hookah-bars.com"]www.hookah-bars.com[/url][/quote] Job well done on the site. Quite a bit more organized than HookahCulture.net  

[DizzyGuy]

[quote name='ghostofdavid']Don't ask for IDs. I wouldn't go to a place that did that, because of fraud.[/quote] How does showing your ID mean fraud? I actually think it's a GOOD thing to check IDs... getting fines sucks balls.

[novicafe]

Yes getting fines will suck. In Michigan a tobacco license is $25,000 and after 3 strikes you lose it and can never regain it.