Ex-student set to open hookah bar in Hillsdale

The Hillsdale Collegian ^ | April 1, 2004 | Dave Frank

[kennedy]

The first experience most students probably had with a hookah was watching the caterpillar swarthily blow smoke vowels from one in Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

Former student Deryk Schlessinger will try to make that experience a bit more personal by opening Hillsdale's first hookah bar. The bar is scheduled to open soon after Spring Break in downtown Hillsdale near the old Democratic Party offices.

"We're trying to bring the Middle Eastern culture to Hillsdale," Schlessinger said, from an easy chair beside a 5-foot gold-plated hookah in his Park Place apartment. "Even though that sounds like a big task, we think we can do it through hookahs, a couple tapestries and a fountain."

The bar will be open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights and will serve tea, coffee and an assortment of 11 hookahs with tobacco in flavors such as banana, melon, coconut, strawberry daiquiri, pina colada and margarita.

He described the atmosphere to be something like a Turkish bazaar with hanging, dim lights, tapestries, murals and a colorful looming cloud of smoke.

Customers will pay $10 for the hookah and smoke it while sitting on low couches and pillows as a waitress resets the coals as needed or changes flavors.

Schlessinger is also planning eventually to bring in a belly dancer.

"If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right," he said.

Schlessinger said he is confident there is a market in Hillsdale for such an operation because of college students, legal high school students and interested locals.

He's putting up approximately $20,000 to get it off the ground.

"I'm pretty optimistic," he said. "I've gotten positive student reaction already."

Co-owner freshman Brandon Muri is new to the scene but impressed.

"I kind of fell in love with the whole hookah thing," he said. "The whole foreign culture-it's pretty neat."

Schlessinger himself has worked at several hookah bars in Los Angeles and was introduced to the concept while visiting Israel his sophomore year in high school.

Schlessinger said his mother, national radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger, is OK with the idea.

"She's happy as long as I don't go to jail or get kidnapped," he said.

For those unfamiliar with the hookah, the tobacco water pipe originated in ancient Arabia but didn't become popular in the West until the 19th and 20th centuries. Still, it is becoming quite popular in America, especially on the West Coast.

Hookahs cost between $75 and $250, depending on the size and quality, and consist of a charcoal screen, clay bowl, bowl grommet, tray, shaft, air valve, hose grommet, and glass base and base grommet.

"That's one of the easiest ways to pick up chicks-with a hookah," Schlessinger said.

[kennedy]

[Monty22]

Again, 9/11 proves to be the greatest political/cultural coup of all time. We're damn near begging them now to take over us.

[Cboldt]

"That's one of the easiest ways to pick up chicks-with a hookah," Schlessinger said.

Once again, I am speechless. -bump-

[stayathomemom]

So is this April Fools, or what?

[Moose4]

*shrug* Hey, if the kid can get the idea off the ground and make it work, more power to him. Tobacco's legal, the hookah is legal...why not?

}:-)4

[iconoclast]

Predicting an early belly up (no pun intended) for this enterprise unless that belly dancer is a real knockout.

[BunnySlippers]

There is a hookah bar in my neighborhood. Every night I can see about a dozen huge hookahs very prominently in the window. I can't say I've seen many people there except what appear to be a few regulars.

[yoe]

Middle Eastern culture? Or just another of the worlds ne’er do wells - the picture shows two thread bare chairs...two fit young men who might better enlist and see the Mid east up close and in person.

[TonyBanks]

"Schlessinger said his mother, national radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger, is OK with the idea. "

Mom probably would've done the belly dancing in her earlier years.

[netmilsmom]

Which one in the picture is Dr. Laura's son?
On a side note, Dad and I will finance college for the girls only if they go to Hillsdale. It's the height of conservative!

[Tax-chick]

I wouldn't dance in a hookah bar (or a cigar bar, either) ... you'd never get the smell out of your costume.

[freedom1st]

Is this related to a hooker bar?

[Boxsford]

Same here. Hillsdale has been my end goal ever since we first started homeschooling 10 years ago. I get the sense that we will get our money's worth continuing our sons education at Hillsdale.

[netmilsmom]

How easy is it for Homeschoolers to get in?
We have two that we are homeschooling.

[BossLady]

You can lead a hookah to the bar but you can't make her smoke...... ;)

[pete anderson]

I wonder if "His Mom's Kid" graduated college early, quit or failed out of school.

[Boxsford]

When I spoke with officials at Hillsdale they were not concerned about 'official' HS diplomas. They're very homeschool friendly. Good SAT scores will help lots to get in. I hear Hillsdale's sister school here in PA, Grove City, is really hard to get in. Have to have top shelf scores.
God Bless your efforts with your daughters.

[Alas Babylon!]

How can you make a hookah moan????

Don't pay her!

[Boxsford]

You have an interesting profile page. Hope folks out there take a minute to read the story behind the picture.
Very cool.

[netmilsmom]

Why thank you and all the best to yours!

Sunflower is my favorite little mystery.