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Oxford Hookah Lounge open now

Miami University students (from left) Mandy Sandstrom, Brian Hackman and Luis Contessa say they come to Oxford Hookah Lounge for the atmosphere and good flavors of hookah tobacco, called shisha. Contributed photo by Scott Allison.

Scott Allison Miami University students (from left) Mandy Sandstrom, Brian Hackman and Luis Contessa say they come to Oxford Hookah Lounge for the atmosphere and good flavors of hookah tobacco, called shisha. Contributed photo by Scott Allison.

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By Halie Anderson, Contributing Writer 1:23 PM Wednesday, July 14, 2010

OXFORD — The Oxford Hookah Lounge has attracted some loyal customers since its opening last month.

“People like it,” co-owner Tony Abbas said of the business, located at 15 N. Beech St., behind Chase Bank and Quizno’s. “We already have numerous regulars that come in five, six, and even seven days a week.”

Abbas expects when Miami University students arrive in Oxford at the end of August, business will increase more.

“Customers keep telling me that if business is this good already, they can’t imagine what it will be like when school is in session,” Abbas said.

David Yeakle and Chris Osborne, 2010 Talawanda High School graduates, visit the hookah lounge a couple of times per week and enjoy the atmosphere.

“It’s really laid back,” Yeakle said. “It’s also a good place to relax after a hard day’s work.”

Yeakle and Osborne said that the hookah lounge has very reasonable prices and it is a better deal than the bars and other forms of entertainment.

“Just the cover charge of a bar may be up to $10,” Yeakle said. “We got hookah and two sodas for $16, only $8 a person, and we will probably be here for five or six hours.”

Abbas said unlike most other hookah lounges, they provide free coal refills.

“Most other places will charge for the refills, which can get expensive,” he said.

Yeakle said that the hookah lounge has been popular amongst students of Talawanda High School who are at least 18 years of age.

Since its opening and prior to its opening, the Oxford Hookah Lounge received opposition from some Oxford residents.

Abbas said that many people have preconceived notions about hookah lounges and associate them with the bar scene and illegal activities.

However, Abbas stressed that one of his main motivations behind starting the business was to offer an alternative entertainment that has a very different atmosphere than bars.

“We wanted to bring something different to Oxford and create an atmosphere where people can socialize and have an actual conversation without the interference loud music or drunk people,” he said.

“Smoking hookah is completely legal,” Abbas said. “Our business is also an exemption to the Ohio smoking ban.”

Because the Oxford Hookah Lounge is free standing and is not a restaurant or a bar, smoking is permitted in the facility by the state of Ohio.

“We are actually considered a tobacco store because we fit under the 80/20 law,” Abbas said. “At least 80 percent of what we sell is tobacco products.”

The Oxford Hookah Lounge also sells soft drinks, snacks, Turkish coffee, and green tea.

“The coffee and tea have been a huge hit,” Abbas said. “Some customers just come in just for that.”

Abbas said the most popular flavors of hookah have been blue mist, grape, mango and fuzzy lemonade.

“Smoking hookah is much smoother than smoking a cigarette,” Abbas said. “This is because it is only 0.05 percent nicotine and has no tar whatsoever.”

The hookah lounge is filled with dozens of couches and tables, and is accompanied by dim lighting and light background music.

“It is much like a coffee shop you would find in Eastern Europe and in Middle Eastern countries like Turkey and Egypt,” Abbas said. “Many coffee shops overseas sell not only coffee and tea, but also hookah. People sit in there for hours as a form of entertainment.”

Abbas said that since the hookah lounge has free Wi-Fi internet, some students come in and work on homework for hours.

“We also have decks of cards for our customer’s use,” he said. “(Yeakle and Osborne) and I played non-gambling poker for a couple hours yesterday.”

Abbas said that the Oxford Hookah Lounge’s methods of operations are completely sanitary.

“We clean the bowl after each use and provide disposable mouth pieces for each customer,” he said.

Abbas said that many customers appreciate the convenient location of the hookah lounge.

“Besides our location, the closest place to smoke hookah is either in Cincinnati near UC or at the new place in West Chester,” he said. “But, it is at least a 45 minute drive to place in West Chester.”

The hours of operation are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Thursday and 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Abbas said that they will likely extend the hours when Miami University students arrive in August.

“We will probably open at 3 p.m. and will extend the Thursday hours later,” he said.

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