Elements Hookah Lounge seeks to provide a space for those who wish to combine alternatives to cigarettes with community.
Originating in India, hookahs are piped instruments that vaporize tobacco after it is passed through a water basin. Unlike e-cigarettes, or indeed, any other tobacco products, Hookah instruments allow more than one person to smoke from the same device via its inclusion of multiple mouthpieces.
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Elements opened on December 22, and is located on 400 Market Street in Bristol Borough. Trojah Morgan, the founder of the business, explained that her inspiration for starting the lounge was rooted in her family history and upbringing.
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“My dad gifted me my first Hookah pipe. I experienced hookah smoking in Dubai. It was an amazing experience that stuck with me,” she said.
With large leather couches and colorful lights, Elements is designed as an alternative to the typical nightlife scene, which Morgan says many find too crowded or loud.
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The lounge is not shy on smoking options.
“We offer probably about fifteen different flavors. The most popular is definitely mint, pink lemonade, and something that I call is Miami: pineapple and mango mix,” said Morgan. “I also have one called New York City, that one is vanilla and chocolate-based. We also have organic and herbal tobaccos.”
Elements attracts both avid hookah users, who often choose exclusively organic or herbal options, and newcomers alike.
Credit: Aja D. Johnson
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When asked what advice she would give to somebody looking to try hookah smoking for the first time, Morgan replied, “I would tell them, ‘don’t be afraid, a lot of people are afraid to try new things.’ Definitely don’t inhale it too deeply, don’t swallow the smoke, you suck it in and poof it out. Just be prepared to relax, it’s not something that gets you high. If that’s what you’re looking for, hookah is not for you.”
Elements also claims itself a multicultural center, and hosts karaoke, live painting events, and community socials. The lounge’s regular hours are 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays.
Nationally, hookah is often popular in college towns and among young people more generally. However, Element has yet to see a large number of them because they have yet to spend money on advertising.
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“We definitely have that atmosphere for college students, though,” said Morgan. “Twice a month we are going to have interactive night. We have game devices that have 600 games on them. The space is pretty intimate, our capacity is probably about 30.”
According to Morgan, the lounge has seen many repeat customers as well as strong word-of-mouth endorsements.
“We’ve had people from come from Virginia and New York,” she noted.
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Elements has also begun offering Lolli-Tip candy-coated tips, which according to Morgan are “the hottest thing in the hookah community. It adds an extra oomph to your experience.” Available in at least six different flavors, with names such as Mighty Mint and Blue Dream, these tips are designed to resemble lollipops. “Because it tastes like candy, it makes you want to smoke more,” Morgan said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hookah has many of the same health risk associated with smoking cigarettes, due to it being a tobacco product. In recent years, some municipalities have curtailed Hookah smoking under public health regulations, although such a restriction is not on the books in Bristol.
Morgan believes that national actions to regulate vaping could also affect hookah lounges “because we are part of the vape community.”
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“Any time you’re dealing with tobacco, there is always a risk of new regulations. It all depends on how we can accommodate those regulations,” she said.
