Miami Quarterly

Issue date: 12/12/09 Section: Scene

In a far away land known as East quad, comprised of middle-of-the-ladder Miami freshmen, it was a right of passage.

Even in freezing weather, first-year students would gather after either a crappy night at Stadium or a long session of ENG 111 style guide reading to exchange names, hometowns and saliva.

That is, saliva from the communal hookah. When the time was granted for a suitable hookah night, first-years from Collins, McBride and Dennison Halls would come out of their respective residence halls to congregate in the middle of the quad. This spot, affectionately dubbed "Hell's gates," served as the meeting ground.

In the wake of new construction Uptown, in the future, Oxford may get its very own official hookah haven in the form of a smoking lounge.

Until recently, the problem has been Ohio's revised code on public indoor smoking. As of 2007, inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying lighted smoking devices is prohibited within all public business. However, this clause can be exempted for businesses offering the sale of tobacco in a freestanding building.

It's this clause that allows multiple hookah bars to exist and operate in nearby Clifton, OH (on and around UC's campus).

According to the Ohio smoking ban, tobacco businesses located in a freestanding structure, occupied solely by the business and preventing smoke to migrate into an enclosed area where smoking is prohibited, are permitted to allow the smoking of tobacco.

Oxford economic development director Alan Kyger targets Uptown's lack of freestanding buildings as the biggest obstacle preventing a hookah bar from coming to Miami.

"So far, the catch has become the place to put it," Kyger says.

 Recently, Roger Perry, owner of Bruno's Pizza, has put an old property, once serving as Bruno's Pizza, on the real-estate market. This freestanding building is located down the alleyway between Chase Bank and Park Place Real Estate.

As of now, there are two prospective parties interested in the property. One wants to have a hookah on the front patio area. The other, Tony Abbas, is looking to adapt the entire building into a hookah lounge.

 According to Perry, he and Abbas are currently working out the minor details regarding the property purchase.

Perry says he would lease the property to Abbas for some time before eventually selling it to him. The contract is not yet finalized, but will be soon.

 "We are planning on calling it Oxford Hookah Lounge," Abbas says.

Abbas envisions its setting as having a contemporary ambiance with an emphasis on Mediterranean culture.

 "Along with a variety of hookah flavors, we will offer Turkish coffees and European versions of lattes and cappuccinos," Abbas says.

Abbas wants the lounge to have a more comfortable feel for students to hang out and relax. The lounge will also provide free Wi-Fi, but won't sell alcohol, because Abbas thinks it would ruin the relaxed nature of the lounge (it's also not within the code).

According to the Ohio smoking ban, all hookah bars must follow a strict revenue code, and 80 percent of all profit must be made from the sale of tobacco or related products, leaving a very small margin for the sale of alcohol anyway.

 For now there's no set date for the lounge to open until Perry gives Abbas the final version of the contract.

 "As soon as we purchase (the property), construction will begin immediately," Abbas says.

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