Opening A Hookah Lounge (part 2)

[CaliforniaHookah]

Hey all-

Looking for ideas on what brands of shisha, hookah, and coals I should purchase.

Shisha-
I want to offer shisha in two price tiers, one premium and one super premium. I was thinking Starbuzz for the super premium but not sure what to offer as the lower priced shisha.

Hookah-
I'm not sure what the best brand of hookah is. I need hookahs that look nice, are durable, and are quality. I'm going to do one hose and two hose hookahs.

Coal-
I'm thinking the silver coated Japanese coals would be the best for me. This way I can leave the customer with extra coals to use when they need them, instead of having to pay too much attention to refreshing patrons' coals. I think the natural coals look like they could work, but they only seem to come in odd sizes or cylinders that would roll right off the bowl.

Hookah lounge owners, how do you deal with customers spilling coal? My floors are hardwood so I'm a little worried about this. I was thinking I'd modify the coffee tables so the hookah could fit into them and not be tip-able. Also, can I expect shisha and coal manufacturers to sell direct?



Edited July 31, 2008 by CaliforniaHookah

[srawas89]

two price tiers sounds like a nifty idea although not many people around here like starbuzz so I dont know. Def. Get Al Fakher tobacco and get some mayb get some Nakhla but that is def. Stronger. Those are the 2 brands I smoke dominantly so I cant really give more info on that. As for the hookahs the hookah bar I go to are mainly Khalil Mamoon (KM) and Mya's they are extremely durable and are nice to smoke. The coals, I am not sure about Japanese coals as I was under the impression that they still needed a stove to light but they dont take as long as naturals. For the most part many people dont care what kind of coals are being used so quicklights work best and you can give like 1 or 2 extra coals per hookah that way you dont have to worry about them for a bit. As far as vendors selling direct I dont know about that. Where is your hookah bar going to be located?

[CaliforniaHookah]

Great advice. I'll be located 40 miles north of San Francisco, near Sonoma State University.

[Scheetz]

Everyone seems to ride the small wang of Starbuzz. Their crap is overpriced and well just complete crap. 2 years ago I would have said yes, buy Starbuzz. Now, hell no. Their quality sucks compared to what it was.

Use Layalina and something else. I prefer Tangiers, but you could try out his new washed line. E (tangiers/sonth) is probably one of the only people/companies who continues to produce the same if not better quality every year. His flavors continue to become better, he knows when it is not up to par and remakes it.

For hookahs, Mya has great pricing for large quantity hookah orders.

[az1z]

the lounge i go to uses acrylic based hookah's, from what i can imagine, they should be pretty tough.

as for charcoals, they used some kind of quick lights, the hookah comes out with 2 lit, and 2 un-lit, you can ignite them at your pace. also, they dont have floors, its just the concreat slab.

its cafe layal, if anyone is wondering.

[SuburbanSmoker]

For tobacco i would say the two teir pricing would be a smart idea. For the lower teir alfakher/layalina/hookahhookah offer different levels of buzz with a pretty consistent flavor quality as well as a wide variety of flavours to chose from.
For your pricier tier i would say starbuzz would be a good idea even though most experienced smokers shy away from it, newbies/casual smokers think its gods gift to man. I would also recommend tangiers for the more "experienced" smoker looking for a better quality smoke, as well as some one who would probably know how to manage the heat on the bowl if your not going to have coal caddies.

as far as coals go, japanese coals are fine. They are relatively cheap and burn clean. I think you have a misconception of naturals on the other hand. You can buy natural finger style charcoal like exotica/ coconara/ variations of the coconut coals. The naturals will burn alot longer, but will require more lighting and wouldnt light off of each other. It really comes down to what you would prefer.

The problem with coals dropping on the floors, ive seen only one solution. The bars i go to have broad enough tables so if a coal does fall and misses the tray it will fall on the table which ive seen with tempered glass tabletops. or stone tabletops. but it all depends on what you ahve acces to and whats in your budget. Sounds like a sunken pocket for the hookah would work if you could fabricate it.

For hookahs, ive always been a fan of having myas considering how durable they are. Not to mention that they can be moded to be 1,2,3,4 hose hookahs just by taking off a plug and screwing in another hose port. Make sure you have good hoses though that are washable....thats super important
just my .02 Edited July 31, 2008 by SuburbanSmoker

[NickReppinThe909]

for hookahs go with MZ

and for shisha offer AF and tangiers dont do starbuzz

and for coals use bulk naturals

[darkone253]

for hookahs go with MZ

and for shisha offer AF and tangiers dont do starbuzz

and for coals use bulk naturals

Nick layin' down the law.

I agree. I've only ever seen MZ hookahs at the bars I've been to. The Hookah House in Boulder provides SB and Tangiers for shisha, but I believe they use Jap Silver coals and I still say no SB. AF would be better and cheaper.

[imfantabulous]

for coal spills, just dont give anyone any tongs, and hire a guy whose only job is to run around fixing coals and harsh bowls and such. if you really want customers to manage their own coals, go with a really really dark carpet, when it melts from the coals its already black/close to it.

[jezter6]

I agree with imfantabulous - don't let idiots touch the coals, tongs, or anything else. They can sit nicely with a hose.

Seriously - the mass majority of idiots at the lounges (not like us on the forum who respect the hookah) are not capable enough to handle it. We'd all love a place like that where it's just a bunch of respectful quiet hookah owners who come in and chat and gather with people, but I don't see it happening. You're going to get drunk or half-drunk college kids who knock hookahs over regularly - don't let them touch the coals or one idiot WILL burn himself/drop it in his crotch and then sue your ass.

[momatik]

-Go with MZ hookahs, all single hose.

-Natural coals. Just have them ready at all time and break them up, and have someone walking around the place looking to top people off.

-AF, Nakhla, and Maybe Layalina if you want. These are all relatively cheap good shishas.

-Make sure you get those rubber things for underneath the vase:
http://hookahcompany.com/vase_protectors_79_ctg.htm

-Since you have hardwood it'll be more stable with the rubber.

-People underestimate the importance of extremely stable chairs and tables. I've seen more people knock over hookahs with their chairs rather than themselves. Be sure to get heavy stable chairs that don't move too easily.

http://www.mayahookahlounge.com/gallery.htm

That's the hookah lounge I usually go to. If you click on the bottom left picture you can kinda see their chairs don't really have legs, they are low to the ground and can't really tip over or anything like that. That might be something you want to look into.

[Stuie]

Super Premium: Tangiers

Premium: Nakhla

Don't serve anything with Red Dye!

Coals: Coconut coals (Coco nara or HC's) or exotica's

Hookahs. Go with some MZ's they are pretty cheap now. But i know you can get H-S's pharoahs pretty cheap wholesale for lounges, just contact them.

[CaliforniaHookah]

Really excellent advice all. It looks like I'll have to do some experimenting with coals and tobacco. The good thing is that there's room to learn and room to improve.

Wow, that Maya lounge is super pimp tits. Rope lights for backlight ambiance are now on the list!!

[momatik]

^Yeah it's nice man. Very popular here in Jersey.

Goodluck. Make sure you update us all with pictures of your place.

[hookah hippie]

I would probably go with mya acrylic hookahs they are very durable and easy to use and are pretty aesthetically pleasing

as for the two price tiers I would definitley keep that it is a good idea

and use natural coals the japanese silver coals will work not my favorite but to each his own

[CaliforniaHookah]

I'll update with pics as soon as possible. I'm working out a few facilities issues right now but I plan to get in there Sept 1 and open for business Oct 1. I wish I had an interior designer girlfriend or something though

[web250_is_mad]

For tobacco, I think a two tier system is a good call. Personally, I like layalina as a good lower tier. It's inexpensive, high quality, and many flavors.
For high end, I think Tangiers is probably your best bet, just make sure you decide between regular or the lucid (washed) line, since it is known for packing a punch.

For hookahs, just get a nice assortment of high quality pipes. They'll smoke better, and last longer. I would look into MYA for sure, since they are of high quality, and have a large selection.

[guyt]

Make sure you post a clear sign telling customers not to mess with the coals because if one of them moves a coal and it slips and falls on themselves and they burn themselves, you could be facing a potential lawsuit.

[mattathayde]

the local lounge uses 4 "levels"

i dont remember exactly what they all are but the top tier is tangiers, below that is starbuzz, i think they have hookah hookah in there. they sell AF and Layalina as well in their store but im not sure if they use those in the lounge.

they use quick lights but meh, they go out so quick like all qls. for natrual coals you could get exoticas or cocnauras which are square so they wont roll off

i think every lounge should have at least 2 different brands available, starbuzz is good but for me some of the flavors are over powering but others are good. i would look into af and/or tangiers as the 2nd (or maybe even 3rd) brands, personally i dont think tangiers is that strong, ya it has a little kick to it but maybe im just used to it, but the normal line has many more flavors, and looking at it from a business stand point, you might be able to turn the hookah over faster if they think it is strong and decide they are done cause of a buzz.

QLs work but the little extra effort you put into the naturals will save you a decent amount of time (45 mins as apposed to the 20 mins of a ql)

i dont think you need to give people tongs, if it is harsh they either will ask or just move the coal them selves with the lighter tap or a pocket knife (maybe this doesnt happen up north but around here almost every guy in the local lounge carries a pocket knife and will move the coals if they get harsh)

-matt

[srawas89]

screw that if they burn themselves it is their fault just have a sign saying: "Move the coals at your own risk...We are not liable for any injuries that you may incur from burning charcoal. You can ask us to move the coals and we will happily oblige. By ordering from us and smoking in our lounge you agree to these terms."
And then when people order ask them if they want tongs so they can move the charcoal and inform them again.
I am only saying this because I like to handle my own charcoal and the hookah bar I go to lets you move the coals and what not and although there are some idiots I have yet to hear about someone burning themselves and then blaming the restaurant.

[radiohead]

clean out the hookahs once a customer is finished. there's nothing more annoying than ordering a strawberry hookah and having it taste like mint instead because they didn't clean out the hookah/bowls.

[mattathayde]

clean out the hookahs once a customer is finished. there's nothing more annoying than ordering a strawberry hookah and having it taste like mint instead because they didn't clean out the hookah/bowls.

+100 on that, theres a junky place up at school that doesnt clean their hookahs and they all taste the same
-matt

[srawas89]

O I forgot to mention...make sure you teach people to properly pack a bowl and what not because I used to go to a hookah bar in downtown Cincinnati and it was awesome at first but that was because the owner was making the hookahs himself, once he expanded the quality went down hill because the other people didnt know how to set it up correctly so please do so it will help you in the long run.

[hookah hippie]

O I forgot to mention...make sure you teach people to properly pack a bowl and what not because I used to go to a hookah bar in downtown Cincinnati and it was awesome at first but that was because the owner was making the hookahs himself, once he expanded the quality went down hill because the other people didnt know how to set it up correctly so please do so it will help you in the long run.

Don't people realize you must make a hookah bowl with love not speed when I open my epic hookah bar it is going to be awsomeness and good and not lame yeah ranting

[mattarios2]

O I forgot to mention...make sure you teach people to properly pack a bowl and what not because I used to go to a hookah bar in downtown Cincinnati and it was awesome at first but that was because the owner was making the hookahs himself, once he expanded the quality went down hill because the other people didnt know how to set it up correctly so please do so it will help you in the long run.

Don't people realize you must make a hookah bowl with love not speed when I open my epic hookah bar it is going to be awsomeness and good and not lame yeah ranting

2nd