Favorite Shisha?

[InfidelRebel]

Hey guys. Like the rest of the world, I'm opening a hookah lounge and wanted to get more involved in the community online, since I'm sure you guys could definitely teach me a thing or two. I'm about to buy my first batch of shisha for the lounge, and wanted to know what you guys thought of the choices I have so far. If you could suggest other flavors you like, anything you wouldn't recommend for whatever reason (I know everyone hates Starbuzz, but it's still popular and I think it's important to have), your favorite mixes, or anything else, I'd really appreciate it. I've already put over 10k into it so far (With a budget of about 30k total, and investors lined up if I need more), and am building all the couches by hand with my two business partners (Seating for at least 100), so I've still got awhile before I'll be ready to open. Any thoughts?

I'm trying to design this place in a way to accomdate both serious and casual smokers. I think a lot of lounges make the mistake of focusing entirely on the shisha and forget that a lot of customers will be social smokers, rather than the hookah connoisseurs a lot of you guys are. On the other hand, I want to make sure my hookah (As well as my options) are top-notch, and as such I would really appreciate any feedback on what choices I should or shouldn't offer.

Starbuzz:
White Peach
Code 69
Blue Mist
Safari Melon Dew
Sex On The Beach
Pina Colada
Fuzzy Naval
Classic Mojito
Double Apple
Pirate's Cave
Orange
Peaches And Cream
Queen Of Sex

Al Fakher:
Strawberry
Cherry
Mint
Grape
Cinammon
Energy Drink
Mango
Cola
Watermelon
Guava
Vanilla

Nakhla:
Apple
Double Apple
Lemon
Chocolate Mint
Earl Grey
Mizo White Grape
Sweet Melon
Cappuccino

Fumari:
White Gummy Bear
Ambrosia
Tutti Fruitti
Blueberry Muffin
French Vanilla
Honey

Fantasia:
Magic Dragon
Adios Mother Fucker
The Million Dollar Flavor
Candy Cane
4 Play
Dragon's Breath
Joker
Rainbow Burst

Xhale Steam Stones:
Bubble Gum
Kiwi
Banana
Watermelon Mint
Cantaulope
Blueberry Edited September 5, 2012 by InfidelRebel

[Hassouni]

Favorite shisha? Either my Elmas 639 or one of the tall Lebanese.






















Yes, it's that time again!

[mushrat]

I'm gonna smack you for being annoying. Answer the man's question or stay out of it.

[mushrat]

hm. ok. How are you going to store and serve all those?
which ones are so similar as to not need repeating?
have you actually smoked all of those?
I ask as someone who went through the same process years ago.

[lunare]

[quote name='InfidelRebel' timestamp='1346851168' post='555825']

Starbuzz:
White Peach
Code 69
Blue Mist
Safari Melon Dew
Sex On The Beach
Pina Colada
Fuzzy Naval
Classic Mojito
Double Apple
Pirate's Cave
Orange
Peaches And Cream
Queen Of Sex

Al Fakher:
Strawberry
Cherry
Mint
Grape
Cinammon
Energy Drink
Mango
Cola
Watermelon
Guava
Vanilla

Nakhla:
Apple
Double Apple
Lemon
Chocolate Mint
Earl Grey
Mizo White Grape
Sweet Melon
Cappuccino

Fumari:
White Gummy Bear
Ambrosia
Tutti Fruitti
Blueberry Muffin
French Vanilla
Honey

Fantasia:
Magic Dragon
Adios Mother Fucker
The Million Dollar Flavor
Candy Cane
4 Play
Dragon's Breath
Joker
Rainbow Burst

Xhale Steam Stones:
Bubble Gum
Kiwi
Banana
Watermelon Mint
Cantaulope
Blueberry
[/quote]

IMHO It really depends on the type of customers you're expecting. If you're expecting a lot of older teenagers/college students, I think the alcohol-based flavors are a good idea (although it may not hurt to have more). It may also be good to add a few pre-made mixes, and you get to think up your own catchy names!

Flavors you may want to consider adding:

Fantasia:

Ace of Spades - A good chocolate-mint combo, with a catchy name.

Starbuzz:

Pumpkin Pie - Another good flavor, and appropriate since the holiday season is approaching.
Tequila Sunrise - Because who doesn't have a love/hate relationship with tequila? This is a decent flavor to smoke on its own, but it mixes really well.

Fumari:

Mint Chocolate Chill - A lounge near me has this, and it's another reliable flavor in terms of getting good smoke + flavor.

Mixes:

Mint + Vanilla + Rose - This mix (suggested to me by a friend) has a surprisingly smooth flavor, with neither of the flavors overpowering the other. (Can you tell I'm a fan of mint yet?)

Lebanese Bombshell + Tequila Sunrise (both Starbuzz) - I must admit, I was skeptical of this combination, especially because the idea of Lebanese Bombshell didn't sound so appealing (if you're not aware, Lebanese Bombshell is a cedar-flavored tobacco), however, when a lounge near me was offering guests the opportunity to try a few puffs of it for free, I took them up on it and was amazed.

If you're looking to target serious smokers as well, I would suggest possibly having some sort of black leaf tobacco available (although you may need to dedicate a pipe/hose/bowl for this).

Hopefully you find these suggestions useful!

[Hassouni]

Fine fine to actually answer your question about mu'assal:

Fakher Strawberry, Mint, Melon, and Guava are all very good, Nakhla Two Apples and Sweet Melon are total classics. Mizo grape is good, as is Nak chocomint.

Also, Starbuzz sucks and can rot in hell, but Safari Melon Dew is really, really good

[InfidelRebel]

Mush, you make some good point. As for storing it, I'm open to suggestions, but we were thinking of using ziplock bags to keep it somewhat airtight. I'm actually only ordering 250g of most of these to start with, and a kilo of the ones that I know are popular at the hookah lounges around here. The plan was to see what people order the most of, and I can overnight more of whatever I need after the first day or two that we're open. Would you suggest that I order at least a kilo of everything that I stock? The only reason I thought against it was I'm concerned about the shisha drying out or getting stale if I open a kilo of it and it ends up not being a popular flavor. When you did your place how much did you stock of each flavor?

As for some of them repeating, that's also a good point. I suppose I don't need both apple and double apple for the Nakhla. I didn't want too much overlap in the flavors, but for something as popular as double apple, I thought it would be good to carry both Starbuzz and Nakhla. Starbuzz is extremely popular around here, so whether or not it's shit, I have to carry it. Nakhla can be harsh for the casual smoker, but would probably appeal to the type of people who smoke enough to not like Starbuzz. I thought it would be good to carry both.

I haven't smoked all of them. I made my list from a combination of personal experience, asking people I know who smoke shisha, looking up reviews online (Lurking on this forum specifically), and a few I just picked because I thought they would be interesting flavors that other people would want to try.

Thanks for putting so much time into your respond Lunare. I'd guess 60% of my clientele will be in the 18-20 demographic, and about 30% will fall into the 21-25 age group, with maybe 10% being older. The alcohol flavors are definite a favorite. Also I'll definitely pick up the flavors you suggested.

If anyone is interested, I do have a business page set up on Facebook which I'm using to keep people updated on the status of the lounge and get feedback. It's Facebook.com/JokerOfClubs

Thanks again for the feedback guys, and let me know if you have anything else for me! Edited September 5, 2012 by InfidelRebel

[Snowdrifter]

I don't have much to contribute...

But Al Fakher rose is good

So is Starbuzz blue melon

[fuckthatvincekid]

I would suggest Fantasia: Pink Lemonade. Its a flavor I come back to even though I almost smoke exclusively Tangiers now.

Speaking of, why no love for Tangiers? Not a market for it? Just curious, I'm sure you thought this through!

Also curious what your set up is for bowls/hookah/hoses and your price scheme...if you're willing to share

[king_lunchb0x]

[quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1346853842' post='555826']
Favorite shisha? Either my Elmas 639 or one of the tall Lebanese.


[/quote]

(lol, classic elder chris.) I think the steam stones is an interesting option, for people hesitant to smoke tobacco at first. A lot of variety is good, but how would the cost of different brands break down( i know that's not what your question is about but I'm curious).
Is there a need to have same flavors but different brands? I know they do have there own taste but I think its a bit much, then again I don't run a lounge so there might be something I'm missing. For myself I would love a lounge near me to serve tangiers. My favorite brand..good price too...but From lounge standpoint I dont know if new/first time smokers would try it. Edited September 7, 2012 by king_lunchb0x

[Pavo21]

First off zip lock bags are the WORST idea ever!!! if you are going to get all this stuff in Kilo form which you should because it will get smoked regardless and doens't go bad. For sealing just keep it in the tubs in came in. I am guessing you dont have a lot of say "smoking at home" experience, since you are asking how to keep it fresh. If you smoked at home you would know this stuff. and what flavors are good and bad and brands. But opening a lounge takes a lot of work not just buying the stuff and good to go. but what u are looking to buy in tobacco is in my mind excessive unless u got people coming in and ready like 50+ a night starting from day 1. Something I didn't do was opening the tobacco till it was ordered we still have a couple kilo's of flavors we haven't' opened due to no demand.

So i'd stick to order 20 kilos of some basic's then ask people when ordering if they have some brands or flavors they also would like to see. Personally we are tangiers smokers, we carry more tangiers then anything in our lounge, also its the only tobacco we even sell not a lot of people want al fakher and starbuzz or layalina unless they ask for it. But you should contact tangiers and add them to your list for tobacco.

Also there is a big market for tangiers in Vegas there is 3 shops i know that sell it and i think a lounge that serves it.

[InfidelRebel]

Thanks for the input Pavo. I do have a bit of experience, not enough that I should single handedly be opening a lounge, but I'm doing this with two friends, as well as a a huge network of people helping me, many of which have 10+ years of experience smoking, and several of which work in/own other hookah lounges. I will admit though that my own knowledge is limited since I only began smoking a year ago. I tend to buy 50 or 100 gram boxes for my home, so keeping them fresh has never been an issue given that the boxes I buy rarely last more than a week or two.
I'm aware of how much work it takes, and in fact I'm building all of the furniture for the lounge by hand, including a stage, DJ booth, front counter, etc. I'm literally building the entire lounge out of raw materials.
I'll consider your advice and perhaps buy a fewer number of flavors. Other lounges in the area carry 40-50 flavors, so I would like to stay somewhat competitive in the options that I offer, though I can make up for it with a larger number of mixes I suppose.
I've considered serving Tangiers, but I'm aware it's a very difficult shisha to get right, and takes a lot of time to acclimate properly. If you have any tips to share of a way to make it practical to serve at a lounge, I'd be open to it, but even among the people I know that work at hookah lounges here in Vegas, none of them have any experience smoking it, and some don't even know what it is.
Vince, I'm sure I'll get chewed out for this, but I'm using Sahara Smoke hookahs. I'm aware of their reputation for poor quality and problems with their stems rusting, but from what I understand their quality has increased significantly over the past couple years. They look very nice, and I am trying to get away from the traditional look of most KM hookahs that most lounges serve. Being that the majority of people on this forum are very experienced with hookah to the point that they strive for perfection, I understand that my outlook on this may aggravate some people. However, I've noticed that the majority of lounges in the US focus so much on the actual hookah that the lounge itself is often boring and dull. My approach to the lounge I'm opening is to focus on entertainment and the experience, which is why I'm having a stage. The hookah is how we'll make money, and for that reason I'm doing my best to make sure I know my shit and have quality staff/equipment, but considering my demographic is primarily 18-20 year olds who have never smoked anything besides Starbuzz, I don't think it's necessary to sacrifice what I consider to be beautiful aesthetics for a difference in quality that 99% of my customers will never notice.

[SundayFundaysTV]

I would look more into the Nakhla Mizo line and the Mix line. Every time I have guests come over to my house to smoke those seem to be a big hit with everyone here.

[Pavo21]

So you should you are going to be using sahara and just a head up Kahilil Mammoon is cheaper then them whole sale wise. Also tangiers can be difficult but if you understand what you are doing then you are fine. And i personally know 2 las vegas locals that can show you the ropes. Also getting a hold of tangiers is easy and since ur not opening tomorrow its easy to get a hold of just go to thier website and call.

[Pavo21]

who would have ever guessed typing on ur phone would make you sound sooooooooooooooo stupid lol. but the whole first part says go KM not sahara for shop pipes

[headhunter]

what pavo said SS hookahs do rust and are not as well built and if i remember right most have screw on base's (not that they are better or worse than grommets. Both screw on and Grommet have there own plus sides and down sides.) Around here on HF most people will tell you to buy KM's, Fardia, Elmas (if you want to pay an arm and a leg for all of them) and the fall back for most lounges MYA Saray. Also on the topic of Shisha, Nak and Tangiers are the go to brands along with AF and [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]layalina(the new line). Starbuzz on here has a bad reputation along with Fantasia, Starbuzz is mostly because for a lot of us on here feel it can sometimes have a chemical taste and personally it gives me a head ache everytime i smoke it (they also are sell-outs of the hookah world as they make everything under the sun including ED pills...no joke look at there site). Fantasia on the other hand has awesome flavors, some of which cant be found with any other brand. That being said when you buy tobacco from them you are mostly paying for juice. Really, i used to buy 50g boxes from a store near me, and half of it would be tobacco and the other half juice. So if you dont mind paying in part for useless product then go ahead and buy it, but most people stay away from it. [/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Just my two cents.[/font][/color] Edited September 7, 2012 by headhunter

[Arcane]

I'll start with my input of menu items:
[quote name='InfidelRebel' timestamp='1346851168' post='555825']
[b]Starbuzz:[/b]
White Peach
Code 69
Blue Mist
Safari Melon Dew
Sex On The Beach
Pina Colada
Fuzzy Naval
Classic Mojito
Double Apple
Pirate's Cave
Orange
Peaches And Cream
Queen Of Sex

[i][b]AF flavors replaced w/ SB flavors:[/b][/i]
Strawberry
[s]Cherry[/s]
Mint
Grape
[s]Cinammon[/s]
Energy Drink
Mango
[s]Cola[/s]
Watermelon
Guava
[s]Vanilla[/s]

[b]Al Fakher:[/b]
[i]Removed all. Replace with SB equivalent if available.[/i]

[b]Nakhla:[/b]
Double Apple
Sweet Melon
[i]Kept for the traditionalists.[/i]

[b]Fumari:[/b]
White Gummy Bear
Ambrosia
Tutti Fruitti
Blueberry Muffin
Mint Chocolate Chill
French Vanilla
[s]Honey[/s]

[b]Fantasia:[/b]
Magic Dragon
Adios Mother Fucker
The Million Dollar Flavor
4 Play
[i]I actually think Fantasia is awful, but these will sell because of the stupid names.[/i]

[b]Xhale Steam Stones:[/b]
[i]Removed all. Just.......no.[/i]
[/quote]

And now, my general reasoning behind my choices. Most of the older members know my disdain for Starbuzz, but most of my recommendations to you and your business are Starbuzz. Why? Because:

1. It's really easy to pack
2. It's hard to burn
3. It has "gimmicky" flavors"
4. It's palatable to most people

[u]Starbuzz:[/u] It's the most popular brand for modern lounges for a reason...their formula works. I'm assuming most of your customers will fall under this customer base.

[u]Fumari:[/u] Popular in San Diego due to their origin, but it's also a bit more expensive (although, I think it's way better tasting too). You may even be able to sell it as "top shelf" tobacco and charge more. This should cover your "I think I know about hookah" customers.

[u]Fantasia: [/u] Sucks the big one, but (and I know I'm assuming/stereotyping) most people who are going to a lounge with a DJ booth will order stuff like "4 Play". This should cover your "Too drunk to care about taste" customers and your "Yeah! It's named after booze!!!" customers.

[u]Nakhla: [/u] You said you wanted to cater to casual and connoisseurs alike, but I don't think it'll work. These two flavors are the most popular of the Nakhla line. If you're familiar with Nakhla, you'll probably be smoking one of these two flavors anyways. At best guesss, these people will make up less than 1% of your customer base. Why invest a lot in them?

[u]Al Fakher: [/u] I just everything removed because they combine the lack the traditional flavor of Nakhla and a bit harder to pack than SB or Nakhla. Lose/lose.

[u]Steam Stones:[/u] I said no.

[b]Pipes:[/b] As stated eariler, your SS pipes will rust and soon ruin the flavors of your tobacco (possibly generating bad advertising for you). So, you may lose business because of word of mouth and then dump more money into replacing the pipes. Lose/lose again. However, I do understand the direction you're going towards and yes, the SS pipes are more eye catching in terms of clubs/modern lounges/etc. If you're content at buying new pipes every 6 months to 1 year....go with the SS pipes. If not, find a better brand (avoid Mya). Edited September 8, 2012 by Arcane

[Jantzen Moore]

My favorite is defiantly watermelon. Or blue mist. I don't prefer the starbuzz blue mint though gives me a headache and makes me feel sick.

[Nerdy]

I'm gonna smack you for being annoying. Answer the man's question or stay out of it. http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/getout.gif

Lol there goes Mush warming up his hammer again. This made me laugh. All in good fun.

[Pavo21]

Reincarnation!