Opening a hookah lounge. Need input

[iknewmroctopus]

I recommend hookahs from hookah-shisha.com. I have one of their Syrian
Engineer 1 hose hookahs and it hits like a dream, and even better with
a diffuser on it. If I were starting a hookah lounge I would probably
go with a bunch of thier large one hose egyptians and a few multiple
hose ones (egyptain or syrian... the syrians have an auto-seal system
so you don't have to hold you finger over the hose when your arn't
smoking) for larger groups. My experience with hookah-shisha.com was
good and I found they they were very helpful with answering questions.
If you do get your hookahs from hookah-shisha, replace the hoses. The
hoses that come with them arn't very long and they don't draw too well.
I think the egyptain line would be good for a lounge because they look
nice are very functional, durable and are a good price. Personally I
wouldn't trust people who have never smoked, or who have smoked very
little hookah coming into my hookah bar and messing around with an
expensive nicly decorated hookah (such as one from hookahook.com). I
can't count the number of times I've seen hookahs fall over because of
people being rowdy around them.

[entrailsgalore]

Buy cleanable hoses. People dont go to the hookah louge for the most
expensive equipment, they go to smoke. It would save you money and time
and trouble i fyou just bought washable hoses rathe rthan expensive
ones like cobra or tundora hoses. Just a thought. 

[entrailsgalore]

Also people like jhookah lounge sthat serve food and drinks, maybe a
mini cafe/hookah lounge. Thats what I observed going to a handeful of
hookah lounges.

[Mathazar]

If you serve food,  you're going to get into a lot of expenses you
probably could do without.  Hookah-Shisha.com  would be a
GREAT place to buy your Hookahs from,  as they've got those
beautiful Syrian Glyph Hookahs with the "Auto-Seal System". I owned one
and it was GREAT,  but then I sold it for other reasons (health
reasons) and later bought a Rotator/Spinning Hookah.  I suggest
the BEST place to get Rotator hookahs would be from 
www.hookahbros.com,  as they've got up to 6 hose Rotator hookahs
with very attractive hoses.  I've never tried
Hookahbros.com,  but their hookahs look
unusually-attractive.  If I saw one of those in a hookah
lounge,  my jaw would drop to the floor.  When you go to
Hookahbros,  look at the CYCLONE,  HURRICANE,  AND
TYPHOON  Hookahs.  Those are their multi-hose line.

As for maassel,  I would have to agree that Al-Fakher is probably
your best bet,  as their flavors,  most of them,  are
very consistant.  Right now,  though,  I'm smoking a
brand of maassel called Hookah-Hookah,  and it's AWESOME. 
The tobacco is very fine in it's texture,  there are no stems
whatsoever,  it's smooth smoking,  very flavorful,  and
has WONDERFUL nose-appeal.  The BEST flavors are: 
Hazelnut,  Apple,  Melon,  and Grape.  Some people
have claimed to have liked the Margarita flavor,  but I thought
though it was pleasant smoking,  it was too overwhelmed with the
essense of mint.  Yes, you can taste the lime,  but no
tequila flavor whatsoever.  Go with Hazelnut,  Apple, 
Melon,  and Grape.  The Hazelnut tastes like real Hazelnuts
with a hint of Vanilla;  Apple tastes like real Granny Smith
Apples;  Melon tastes like real Cantaloupe,  and Grape tastes
like real Concord Grapes.  I would stay away from their other
current flavors because in my opinion they SUCK!!!  . 
On the other hand,  after the 1rst of the year, 
Hookah-Hookah will be coming-out with 10 NEW flavors: 
Cognac,  Jamaican Rum,  Cinnamon,  Coconut, 
Banana,  just to name a few.  I'm going to be ordering all 10
of their NEW flavors,  because I'm in love with the flavors I'm
smoking right now.  The one thing,  over flavor,  that
you'll notice with Hookah-Hookah maassel is it's smootheness. 
It's SO silky smooth with no harsheness whatsoever that you'll be in
HEAVEN smoking it.....GUARANTEED 

[Mathazar]

Also,  go with Golden Coals,  as they burn hotter and longer
than any other quick-lighting coal out there,  without the harsh
charcoal flavor.  You can get Golden Coals at a number of
places,  but the first place that comes to mind is 
Hookah-Shisha.com 

[NERV]

as for the hookahs i would say this, go with simplicity, alot of
unexperienced people handling more complicated hookahs does not bode
well, i would also suggest not using glass bases BUT there would be a
loss of the authentic fell, my reccomendation would be to use the
small/medium classic egyptians, unless your hookahs will be placed on
the floor in which case use large, possibly rotator, also get long
hoses. as for the shisha premium flavors are all well and good but a
variety of brands would be best, simply because some brands will have
flavor sothers dont, and some will give a stronger buzz, but for a
lounge with, again, inexperienced people, youll want a nice wet massal
that wont burn easily, so id say al fakher for premium and al amir for
standard, as much as i love nakhla i tihnk its too tempermental to
leave to amateurs

[Gamaliel]

kushlounge,where are you opening your lounge?

[Mathazar]

Please let it be Milwaukee,  we need better Hookah Lounges here 

[To100YearsToLate]

I really want to open one as well, I know a few areas in So Cal that
are lacking in hookah lounges (near a few universities) that I could
make a killing on.  If you're doing this in So-Cal, I'd be
interested in some sort of limited partnership, as I have the knowledge
but not the funds to make it happen.

I'd go with a medium to large Egyptian hookah, thats what most lounges
I go to seem to use.  Small ones don't hit well enough. Use ice
and water in the base for thicker smoke.  Al-Fakher is a great
choice tobacco wise.  As for coal, don't use quick lights. 
Stick with the more traditional ones that you need a BBQ to light have
them "cooking" around back all night and send a guy around with a
refill basket, you'll spend much less time swapping coal for your
customers this way.

Beverages: Hot Tea, Coffee, Lemonade and Soft Drinks are the norm
around here.  I only know of one lounge that serves alchohol and I
don't think its a good idea.  I've seen lots of newbie hookah
smokers get sick very fast from combining hookah and alchohol. 
Its a judgement call on your part really, just be prepared for the
possible cleanup from serving alchohol or putting it in the base. 
A pino grigiot wine works very well with peach or apricot flavored
tobacco.  Bear in mind that you'll need to have an enclosed patio
area for alchoholic beverages; at least in CA... alot of lounges seem
to just take up space in their shopping center walkways and can't serve
booze as a result.  Have your servers monitor beverage refills
frequently, nothing bothers me more than running out of tea and waiting
half an hour for a refill.

Food: A full menu is great but not everyone is going to eat dinner
there.  I normally get dinner somewhere else and then go to the
lounge to smoke.  Desserts like cheesecake are a good idea to
serve, as well as snacks such as hummus, french fries, buffalo wings,
etc.  You'll sell more of this stuff than you will steak dinners,
especially if you're catering to a college age crowd.

Other stuff: Most lounges charge a minimum to prevent freeloaders from
hanging around.  $5 IMO is as high as you should go.... I've been
to lounges with $15 minimums and when you have a big group it adds up
fast.... Frankly I feel ripped off takign 7 friends with me to Habbibi
cafe (considered one of the best in LA) when it costs me $100 for that
group on a Saturday night when I can go to The Spot with the same
amount of people for $50.  If space is an issue, $10-15 may be
acceptable.

Speaking of space and making the best use of it, what can I say but
card card card!  Don't get the repuation for being the hookah bar
that doesn't card because then you'll be overwhelmed with 15-17 year
olds. These kids annoy the crap out of me when I go to a
lounge.  I waited until I was 18, you can too.  This crowd is
also likely to be the ones that will puke on your lounge, because they
can't handle the smoke, or they were drinking before comming out. 
Not to mention they're cheap as hell and won't tip your servers well.

Music: Modern Middle Eastern pop is the norm, and I find it
enjoyable.  Avoid being the bar that plays rap and metal... that
will have a huge influence on your clilentele.  The Mid East music
and light house/techno music seems to be the best choice... although I
think a live band stage would be cool too.

Thats all I have for now, I'm sure I'll think of more later.

[Mathazar]

Play Live Jazz!!! 

Jazz-goers would be a pretty hip/cool crowd of people.  Maybe have
comedy acts on the weekends,  Improv,  etc....You'll draw a
better crowd.  I agree,  you definitely don't want the under
18 crowd. They, as the previous poster stated, are annoying as
HELL!  They're loud and have no manners whatsoever

[iknewmroctopus]

Totally go with the natural coals. I was at a hookah lounge in Quito
and they were using them. If the smoke got thin at all they would just
come out and put more coals on your bowl and it would be back to that
thick thick smoke that I love.

[To100YearsToLate]

[quote name='Mathazar']Play Live Jazz!!! 

Jazz-goers would be a pretty hip/cool crowd of people.  Maybe have
comedy acts on the weekends,  Improv,  etc....You'll draw a
better crowd.  I agree,  you definitely don't want the under
18 crowd. They, as the previous poster stated, are annoying as
HELL!  They're loud and have no manners whatsoever[/quote]

Comedy acts was one of my ideas too was trying to save that one for my lounge though.

Jazz would work... maybe do a different set each night... ex. Jazz
fridays, House/Trance saturdays, Comedy Sundays, Live band Wednesdays,
etc...

[afrdzak]

[quote name='To100YearsToLate']I really want to open one as well, I know a few areas in So Cal that
are lacking in hookah lounges (near a few universities) that I could
make a killing on.  If you're doing this in So-Cal, I'd be
interested in some sort of limited partnership, as I have the knowledge
but not the funds to make it happen.
rage refills
frequently, nothing bothers me more than running out of tea and waiting
half an hour for a refill.[/quote]

Just out of curiousity, where in So Cal are you thinking about
exactly?  Because IMO the college areas of San Diego are pretty
much saturated.

[afrdzak]

Oh, btw, he's remodeling his current place. Now opening a new one.

[afrdzak]

*Now = Not

Man, I really wish this forum had the edit capability.

[afrdzak]

One more thing:

Kushlounge: What kind of crowd are you trying to attract?  I think
it's really important you establish this if you're doing a complete
revamp of your place. 

However, if this "lounge" thing is just an addition to your current
lounge, then you should try to accomodate to your current clientele,
unless of course, you're trying to attract a new/different crowd.

Sorry for the ramble as I'm sure you already know this since you are an entrepreneur.

[TheHookahGurus]

without a doubt purchase Romman for your lounge....and i personally recommend hookahs from myasaray.com.  Wouldnt buy anything else.

[To100YearsToLate]

[quote name='afrdzak'][quote name='To100YearsToLate']I really want to open one as well, I know a few areas in So Cal that
are lacking in hookah lounges (near a few universities) that I could
make a killing on.  If you're doing this in So-Cal, I'd be
interested in some sort of limited partnership, as I have the knowledge
but not the funds to make it happen.
rage refills
frequently, nothing bothers me more than running out of tea and waiting
half an hour for a refill.[/quote]

Just out of curiousity, where in So Cal are you thinking about
exactly?  Because IMO the college areas of San Diego are pretty
much saturated.

[/quote]

Westchester/Marina Del Rey/Venice/Playa Del Rey

Its about 20 min away from the hookah saturated area of Westwood village, but could use a lounge of its own.

[entrailsgalore]

They have 3 hookah lounges around UCR, and universities are probably
the best place to set a hookah lounge.  College kids love shookah,
and would go tehre 7 days aweek. I would observe that hookah is more
popular with younger crowds,  18-30 years old. SO universities are
a good place.

[ApoC]

buy Mya hookahs, because the parts can easily be replaced or upgraded,
and you will have VERY wide range of looks. id go for the new screw-in
glass bases, email them with what youre looking for (how many, price
range, accessories etc) and im very sure they will be more than glad to
hookah you up. www.myasaray.com

[To100YearsToLate]

[quote name='entrailsgalore']They have 3 hookah lounges around UCR, and universities are probably
the best place to set a hookah lounge.  College kids love shookah,
and would go tehre 7 days aweek. I would observe that hookah is more
popular with younger crowds,  18-30 years old. SO universities are
a good place.[/quote]

I've been to Babylon out there... one of the finest lounges I have ever seen!

[entrailsgalore]

Yeah its a nic eplace, I never smoke dtehr ebut tahts wher i got my first hookah at.

[HookahCulture]

Damn you people and your recommending the THIEVES website!
OK I won't say anymore here.

Anyway, lots of GREAT suggestions already posted, I just wanted to add
to be selective about MUSIC and the volume you play it. Nothing's worse
than walking into a place and they're BLASTING Beastie Boys or Rage
Against The Machine.
They're missing the point and being trendite.
Be cool about it, play obscure music that fits the vibe.
I just picked up a double CD compilation called BEDOUIN CAFE. Way cool.
When you play cool obscure music, people will note YOUR PLACE as being the unique avant-garde place you need it to be!
True about the food, lots of expense unless you want to be a restaurant
first, with hookahs as an afterthought. It's good to have a good
selection of bottled drinks, again try to be unique but stick with the
faves like colas and Snapple. Packaged snacks should be OK like chips
(crisps to you Brits) and other things. Also, can't go wrong with
coffee and tea, check with your local rules about offering beverages
other than pre-packaged bottled drinks.....

[tuma al Zrai]

  If it is to be [b]athentic[/b], then there are some ground rules.
1. Most real Argileh (what "hookah" is supposed to be called) lounges serve either just double-apple or just a handfull of traditional flavors. This is a good stategy if your just starting out, they are like old standbys, if you get new artificial flavors, than theres no promoise everyone will like them. I recomend either Romman, El Waha, or Nakla (Fahkfina is ok too)- Double Apple, strawberry, mint, peach, mixed fruit, apricot , and maybe some berry flavors to start out with.
2. [b]Never, Never (ever!) [/b]put the pipe on a table. It is against all etiquite rules and is extremely dangerous. (fire hazard!)
3. Most lounges serve at least some lite mezza (arabic appetizers ; homous, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, lebaneh, etc) and tea/coffee. Arabic tea is made in the Turkish fashion, but is mixed with cardommom. Arabic tea is ussually made with fresh mint, some tea leaves, and LOTS of sugar (a few almonds in the pot leave a great after taste). If your planning on having some light meals on hand, you should probably keep a theme going ( just my opinion).
4. Alcohol is not [b]supposed [/b]to be served with argeleh, but it often is anyway over here. In the base, however, I've never heard of. try experimenting with Arak-Lebanese ouzo. It has a Anise, fennel flavor that is complex and can pair well with some flavors, but not others.
5. traditional Argileh cafes ussually stock up on card, chess/checker sets, and Tawleh (backgammon) boards. If someone isn't eating a full meal with their smoke, it helps pass the time. (very traditional, but given up by a lot of newer places)
P.S.-I would recommend Mya Saray for their pipes. They are the only ones who actually advertise in Farsi and Arabic, so you know their customers buy good stuff.

[tuma al Zrai]

Oh, one more thing. Adding something to Hookah Cultures remark about music. If you really want to set a mood, try Port Said (Mohammed El Bakkar), Oum Kaltoum, and Fairuz for some real old-school Arabic flavor (only traditional instroments used). if you're going more modern, than Nancy Ajram, Elissa, Najwa, and Amr Diab are some of the biggest names out there (fusion). If you want a dance floor, I recommend Beirut Biloma