Students plan to open hookah bar in Kirksville

When freshmen Dan Nixon and Andrew Wu came to Kirksville, they decided something was missing from the college night-life. They decided to start their own hookah bar at 106 S. Elson, which they hope to open by March 18.

Nixon said he and Wu asked many of their friends what they thought Kirksville needed, and they almost unanimously agreed that it needed hookah bars. Nixon said he knows of fraternity members that have hookahs, but don't have the convenience of a central place to use them.

"Hookah bar is a growing industry," Nixon said. "It's becoming one of the mainstays for other college towns."

Nixon said they signed the lease for the building Saturday and hope to open after construction. He said the repair process should take approximately two weeks and the cost should be approximately $1,500. The building space was formerly a bar, so there are soda fountains, an ice machine, a stage and restrooms.

Because hookah traditionally is considered to be more Middle Eastern, Nixon said he and Wu are naming it the Jinn Lounge. He said Jinn is Arabic for genie.

However, with the indoor smoking ban in Kirksville, Nixon said he and Wu have been dealing with limitations.

"We're very restricted on what exactly we can offer without becoming one of the places where indoor smoking would be banned," Nixon said.

Because of the restrictions they cannot serve full meals or have billiards or live entertainment, Nixon said. The smoking law bans smoking in entertainment places, amusement places, coffee bars, bars and restaurants. He said if the Jinn Lounge falls into any of those categories, it cannot have the hookah.

Nixon said they cannot make food or bring in prepared food. Only packaged food like chips and other snack foods are allowed. Nixon said he and Wu soon will file with the state of Missouri to obtain their sales tax license to sell these snacks. Once they obtain their sales tax license, Nixon said they will apply for the Adair County and the City of Kirksville business licenses.

Nixon said no hookah products have been ordered yet, but they will purchase the tobacco and hookahs from a web wholesaler at Southsmoke.com. He said he still is looking at pricing options for the Jinn Lounge, but hopes to draw larger groups by charging less for the hookah and more per person. Nixon said they probably will be adding student and group discounts.

Jerry Caldwell, owner of the Green Door tobacco store on the Square said he doesn't think a business that only operates as a place to smoke hookah will last very long in Kirksville.

"Any business coming to a community should do their homework first and make sure it is feasible," Caldwell said.

He said the Green Door is different because it has a place for people to come in and smoke, but it also sells tobacco. He said there is a hookah and cigar lounge for customers and the store is allowed to have an indoor smoking area because it does not  serve food or liquor.

Beth Meline, business licensing clerk for the city of Kirksville, said all businesses in Kirksville must apply for a license to operate. She said when the smoking ban was passed, the Green Door had to speak to the Kirksville Police Department about their license. Meline said when the Jinn Lounge applies, it might have to do the same.

Meline said business have to  submit their application for a license to her and then pass inspection by the codes department and fire department. She said from there, they pass it on to whoever needs to review it, such as the health or police departments.

Wu said many people who smoke hookah usually don't want to be associated with people who smoke cigarettes. He said cigarette smoking has a nervous feeling to it, while hookah is more calm and relaxed. He said it's more about the social aspect than the fondness for nicotine.

"It's not so much about the smoking as it is about conversing with others and sharing ideas," Wu said.

Wu said that to promote their hookah bar, they are considering hiring an advertisement designer for a short time. He said they need someone to create posters and are hoping to be sponsored by an on campus organization to put these posters up on campus.