Albuquerque has your hookah hookup.
Because of rave-like atmospheres with live DJs, Albuquerque has seen an explosion in the number of city hookah lounges, Bubble Lounge manager Ahmad Al-Qasem said.
“We used to have a big line in here,” he said. “Right now we have a lot of hookah lounges out this way.”
Bubble Lounge employee Kirsten Brothers said most of their customers are under 21. She said she got a job at the establishment after frequenting the joint as a teenager.
“I was in here all the time as a little teeny-bopper, so they hired me,” she said.
Terrene Hookah co-owner Aaron Roth said hookah lounges have enjoyable atmospheres, and that’s what attracts customers. He said Terrene doesn’t scout for bands, the acts come to them.
“The atmosphere, the clientele that we have is a lot more laid-back,” he said. “We tend to have lower-volume music so people can talk to each other. And that’s how it should be.”
Bobby Burdock, Terrene’s other co-owner, said the lounge draws a diverse crowd, not just under-21 patrons who can’t go to bars.
“We get anybody from 50-year-olds to 18, students to workers. All of ’em,” he said. “You get the club crowd; you get the relaxed crowd. We get everybody in here pretty much. The older crowd likes it because it’s not super-loud.”
UNM student Mike Perino, 23, said he prefers newly opened Hookah Star to the Albuquerque bar scene.
“I don’t really go to bars that often,” he said. “During the summer, I’ll tend to go a bit more because the Rapid Ride runs late, but it’s hard to drive to a bar because I refuse to drink and drive. “(And) this is a great place because you can smoke cigarettes in here. It’s so nice to not have to go out in the frigid weather.”
Terrene Manager Jack Jacob said the establishment has one major advantage over other local hookah lounges.
“We have something that nobody else has, which is food,” he said. “Nobody in Albuquerque can sell shisha with food. That’s what makes us different.”
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Still, many people support the hookah lounges for simpler reasons.
Matt Salvio, a 19-year-old Bubble Lounge customer, said he goes to the hookah lounge because they have pool tables and he lives close by. Will he continue to come to the Bubble Lounge once he turns 21?
“Probably not,” he said.
