Equipment for hookah bar. How to open a hookah bar - how much it costs and what is required for a hookah business according to the law. Work schedule and area equipment

Why do entrepreneurs strive to create their own hookah bar? A hookah bar is an easy business to manage. You don't need special licenses or a large staff of employees. Business is transparent and simple, accounting is easy to do.

In the two years since the introduction of the anti-tobacco law, entrepreneurs have become accustomed to the new rules of the game. And the average business profit is from 100,000 rubles.

All this sounds convincing. The first question that entrepreneurs have is: how much money do they need to open a hookah bar? In this article we will calculate the average cost required to start a hookah bar.

Hookah bar cost: what does business look like?

In the calculations we will focus on a hookah bar with an area of 100 sq.m. We rent premises in a non-residential building so as not to disturb the neighbors. It will be zoned at 10 square meters for one company of four people. Utility rooms and bathrooms will occupy 30 sq.m. There will be seven equipped guest areas. In total, we can serve 28 people at the same time.

How much does it cost to open a hookah bar from scratch? The most difficult question is finding and decorating the premises. This will take a lot of time, especially if you are planning a major renovation.

How much money do you need to rent and renovate a hookah bar?

It is better to locate a hookah bar closer to the city center, on streets with high pedestrian traffic. If your target audience is the low and middle segment, then it is better to locate your business near the metro. How much money do you need for premises to open a hookah bar in Moscow?

The average cost of renting a premises of 100 sq. m in non-residential stock - 110’000 ₽. Utilities - not less than 100’000 ₽. When concluding a rental agreement for a premises, fees are paid for the first and last month.

Please remember that repairs may take several months. During this time you are required to pay rent. To avoid this, try to negotiate with the owner to provide so-called rental holidays. This is a certain period during which a discount on rent is provided or no fee is charged at all.

Now almost all construction and repair companies offer free interior design, or provide large discounts on it when ordering repair work.

To save money, rent a room that does not require major renovations. For cosmetic repairs you need from 500’000 ₽ excluding consumables.

Take the selection and installation of your ventilation system seriously. The requirements for it are very strict. The average price for equipment and installation of systems in Moscow is 350-500 thousand rubles. The ventilation power depends on the area and volume of the room and the number of hookahs.

When calculating how much it costs to open a hookah bar from scratch, first of all make an estimate of the costs of renting and renovating the space. Summarize. Payment for rented premises is 200,000 rubles for the first and last month, repairs are 500,000 rubles. Hood – 500’000 ₽.

In total, you will need 700,000 rubles for arrangement and rent.

Open a hookah bar: business registration

If you are planning to open an individual entrepreneur, remember that in case of bankruptcy, you risk all your property. Individual entrepreneurs cannot have partners, and large suppliers are reluctant to work with individual entrepreneurs. The state fee for registration is 800 ₽. If you are not ready to deal with the registration yourself, then it makes sense to hire a lawyer. His services will cost 4,000 rubles.

A limited liability company only risks its share capital if the business closes. The state fee for registering an LLC is 4’000 ₽. Opening a current account and making a stamp - from 1’000 ₽.

You will spend from RUB 5,000 to open an LLC.

Cost of hookah bar equipment

Equipment is a relatively small expense. We are talking about the hookahs themselves, their components, accessories and tobacco. Entrepreneurs recommend buying a hookah of the Egyptian brand Khalil mamoon with a height of 50-100 cm. All this costs 100,000 rubles. But remember that replacement cups, tubes and hoses for hookah will have to be purchased constantly. This must be taken into account when calculating how much it costs to open a hookah bar from scratch.

Sound equipment for a hookah bar with an area of 100 sq.m will cost 39,000 ₽. Professionals often advise abandoning game consoles so that visitors do not occupy a table for more than two hours.

Almost all hookah bars have board games. To begin with, it is logical to purchase the ten most popular games. Their total cost is 13’000 ₽.

Cash register - 23’000 ₽. Failure to do so may result in fines.

We have named the minimum set of equipment required at the first stage of work. Hookahs, an audio system, a cash register and board games will cost 165,000 rubles.

How much does it cost to open a hookah bar: choosing furniture

To organize a guest room you will need 7 tables (21'000 ₽), 8 ottomans (4'000 ₽), 10 armchairs (22'000 ₽), 10 bean bags (60'000 ₽) and a shelving unit (7'000 ₽) .

To store hookahs and tobacco, you need a simple spacious cabinet - 5’000 ₽. To simplify the work of the staff, we purchase a bar counter - 15’000 ₽.

The minimum cost for furniture will be 134’000 ₽.

How much money do you need to open a hookah bar?

Summarize. How much does it cost to open a hookah bar with an area of 100 sq.m?

Hookah smoking came to us from the East and almost immediately gained popularity; moreover, it continues to attract supporters of this form of recreation. Many entrepreneurs, paying attention to the growing popularity, decide to open their own hookah bar. Where should I start, what is the sequence of actions?

Legal requirements

An entrepreneur who decides to start this type of business must be aware that there will be certain difficulties along the way. It's all about the smoking ban law, so opening a hookah bar in a catering establishment is very difficult. But there are several options to circumvent this prohibition. For example, offer your visitors a hookah without nicotine. There are many types of smoking mixtures made on the basis of fruits, milk, wines, etc. This approach will allow you not to break the law and provide this popular service to your guests. By the way, the hope that you can somehow deceive the control is very illusory, and the game in this case is not worth the candle. The penalties for violating the smoking ban are considerable.

Video: the problem of illegal hookah bars in urban residential buildings

How to open a small hookah bar from scratch: from idea to business plan

Planning aspects before opening a hookah bar include:

choice of establishment format and target audience;
choice of location and premises;
calculation of costs, profits and payback periods;
business registration;
advertising and promotion of services;
hiring staff.

Financial question - how much does it cost to open a hookah bar?

Answering the question of how much it costs to open an establishment is quite difficult. It is necessary to take into account many criteria that influence the amount of costs. The main financial costs include:

preparation of the necessary documentation;
rental of premises. Its cost directly depends on the area, location, cost of repair and design work and much more;
purchase of equipment and furniture;
purchase of hookahs themselves and mixtures for them;
employee salaries and contributions to pension and other funds.

The above are the main costs; you need to be prepared for other expenses. This largely depends on the format and scale of the future institution.

What is needed to register a business

If we are talking about opening one establishment, then you can register an individual entrepreneur, if you are talking about a network of hookah bars, then you need to register an LLC.

Table: documents for registration of LLC and individual entrepreneur

Rent

One of the key points in opening a cafe is its location. This largely determines attendance. Indeed, located on the red linecafewill be more visited than the one located on the outskirts. You must be prepared for the fact that the price for renting a room in the city center may be higher than the price in a quieter area. But an entrepreneur must be prepared for a rental cost of approximately 1,000 rubles per meter.

Institution format

A hookah bar can exist in several formats:

Bar. If an entrepreneur has certain financial resources, then you can think about opening a bar. The optimal location would be in the city center. With this format, in addition to hookah services, you can organize hot meals and sell drinks of various strengths.
Renting premises in a working cafe or restaurant, if there are not enough resources for a large-scale project. This option is complicated because you will have to visit many establishments in the area of interest and create an offer that the restaurant owner cannot refuse.
Offsite sessions. For example, providing services at festivals or other large events. In this case, there is no need to open a stationary establishment; it is enough to have the hookahs themselves and people who know how to handle them.

Video: hookah picnic

Attachments

The available budget should be managed wisely. By following the calculations outlined in the business plan, you will be able to avoid unnecessary waste. Let's calculate how much money you will have to invest in organizing a hookah bar.

Table: costs of opening a hookah bar

Payback period

Now let’s calculate the approximate payback period for the establishment.

The average cost of a hookah is 500 rubles. The flow of customers in a hookah bar with 10 zones will reach 20–30 people per day. Additional services are not taken into account in the calculation. Let's calculate the profit when the establishment operates 28 days a month. Even if you count at the minimum, monthly income will vary at the level of 280 thousand rubles:
500 x 20 x 28 = 280,000
The maximum cost for 1 hookah is 250 rubles. (including staff salaries). In this case, the markup is at least 300% (in some cases you can add up to 1000%). In our example, the cost of 560 sales in 28 days will be equal to 140 thousand rubles:
250 x 560 = 140,000

Thus, the investment in a hookah bar for 10 hookahs pays off in 6–8 months. After a year of operation, you can count on a stable profit, despite the monthly need to pay salaries to employees, purchase of raw materials, rent of premises, utilities and other expenses.

Required documents

Package of documents for opening a hookah bar:

documents on registration of individual entrepreneurs or LLCs;
notification of Rospotrebnadzor about the start of activities;
permission from the fire department;
permission from the SES (sanitary and epidemiological service);
liquor license.

According to clause 4.1 of GOST R 50764–2009, a license to open a fireplace is not required.

Passability and calculation procedure

An important indicator is cross-country ability. For a hookah bar, it can be calculated based on the requirements for establishments in the mid-price range. You can take as a basis the number of people living or working within walking distance of the point. Theoretically, as restaurateurs say, you can count on a number of visitors equal to 10% of the number of people living or working nearby. But again, this is a theoretical figure.

Staff

To work in a hookah bar, you need to select appropriate workers. Care must be taken in selecting employees. An inexperienced employee can easily ruin the evening for guests and thereby create a bad impression of the establishment.

How to recruit people? There is no single answer here either. Some hire staff through friends, others through recruitment agencies. When hiring people, you need to remember that they have health certificates and periodically organize a medical examination. If there are foreign citizens among those hired, they must have work permits. The fine for using migrant labor without proper registration can reach up to 400,000 per illegal immigrant.

We can say that the monthly wage fund of a bar can amount to about 120,000 thousand rubles. Mandatory payments to the pension fund must be added to it. This will add almost a third to the indicated amount. The number of staff is determined by the number of seats, the traffic of the establishment and other factors.

Table: hookah bar staffing table

Schedule

Most of the traffic will be on weekday evenings. Clients come to smoke hookah at the end of their working day. Therefore, you can organize promotions during the day to attract customers and thereby maintain your profitability. In addition, the hookah bar must be open on weekends and holidays.

Advertising

Another expense item is advertising and promotions. This is the only way to ensure the promotion of the establishment. One of the profitable ways to attract attention is to distribute leaflets on the street with an invitation to visit a hookah bar. To increase efficiency, you can announce that the bearer of the leaflet will receive a certain discount. By the way, you can also apply a discount system for regular customers.

The external design of the hookah bar also plays a significant role in attracting guests.

It is better to entrust these works to an advertising agency. As a rule, they have ready-made scripts for running a campaign. The main thing is to clearly formulate the tasks for advertisers. Based on them, it will be possible to calculate the average cost. Carrying out this work without certain skills can have the opposite effect.

Some subtleties

It is also necessary to consider some points in the process of organizing a business:

In the room, it is necessary to delimit the electricity supply line by installing a separate meter on it. Do the same with water and gas. Thus, the entrepreneur will pay bills based on actual expenses.
To avoid complaints from local residents and visitors to neighboring premises, it is a good idea to ensure good ventilation.
It is necessary to provide the premises with a fire extinguishing system and an effective evacuation system.
It is also necessary to consider the safety of guests. It makes sense to involve specialists from private security companies in cooperation to ensure control over what is happening in the room and to take measures to eliminate various excesses.

Video: how to open a hookah bar (feedback from entrepreneurs)

Opening a hookah bar requires some work and serious expenses, but we can say that all this will pay off within a few months. To reduce costs, you may want to consider purchasing a franchise.

Description of products and services
Production plan
Permissions to open
Tax system
- - - Similar business ideas:

Sample business plan for opening a hookah bar in a city with a population of 450,000 residents.

How much money do you need to open a hookah bar?

According to our calculations, opening a hookah bar will require investing at least 850,000 rubles:

Deposit for renting premises (80 sq. m.) - 80,000 rub.
Repair, redevelopment and design - 250,000 rubles.
Furniture and media equipment - 300,000 rub.
Crockery and equipment - 20,000 rub.
Hookah and tobacco - 100,000 rub.
Advertising budget - 50,000 rub.
Business registration and other expenses - 50,000 rubles.

Step-by-step plan for opening a hookah bar

Select a premises that complies with the standards of Rospotrebnadzor and Fire Supervision;
Find sources of project financing (own funds + loan)
Find suppliers of equipment and quality raw materials (tobacco, hookahs)
Register a legal entity
Carry out repairs and redevelopment of the premises in accordance with legal requirements. Obtain the necessary permissions.
Select staff and train them
Work out the hookah recipe
Launch an advertising campaign

Description of products and services

The peculiarity of our establishment will be that it will not have the usual menu that can be found in classic catering establishments. We will not have the usual menu of first and second courses, salads and other things. “Eating delicious food” is not for us; there are hundreds of other cafes and restaurants for that. The main emphasis of our establishment is a wide variety of hookahs, methods of preparing them and an unforgettable atmosphere. Our clients are people who come, first of all, to smoke a delicious hookah, and not to eat to their fullest. However, you can also refresh yourself here: hot pizza, cookies, tea, coffee, low-alcohol drinks. Our menu and services according to the business plan:

Hookahs with water, milk, juice, cocktail
Tobacco: NAKHLA, Al Fakher, Starbuzz, Serbetli, Darkside, Al Waha, Fumari, Afzal and others
Free Wi-Fi
Free board games (chess, backgammon), games on Xbox One or Play Station 4 consoles
Free sweets, cookies and lollipops
Sale of hookahs and tobacco

Our hookah bar will accommodate a maximum of 75 people. The main attendance of the establishment will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Peak hours: from 19 to 23 hours. The average bill per person will be 350 rubles. The average number of visitors after business promotion (3-6 months) is 45 people per day or 1350 people. per month. The potential revenue of the establishment will be 472,500 rubles. per month.

Production plan

To organize a business, it is planned to rent premises in a permanent building (we recommend reading: “ How to conclude a lease agreement correctly"), with an area of 80 sq. m. The rent will be 40,000 rubles. per month. The premises for a hookah bar will comply with all legal requirements for such facilities, namely:

Contain a separate entrance
Have all necessary communications: electricity, ventilation, hot and cold water supply, sewerage
Transferred to the appropriate type of permitted use (non-residential premises)
Owner's permission to smoke has been obtained

It is planned to make appropriate repairs and redevelopment in the premises: create separate areas for smokers, improve the supply and exhaust ventilation. The redevelopment will be coordinated with the relevant departments, including: Rospotrebnadzor, Gospozhnadzor, Gosexpertiza, architecture. Special devices for smoking hookahs will be installed for employees of the establishment in order to heat up tobacco without significant human effort.

What equipment to choose for a hookah bar

It is planned to spend at least 250,000 rubles on furnishing the premises. Comfortable soft sofas with armrests, armchairs, and low tables will be purchased. Professional lighting will definitely be done to create the proper atmosphere. It is planned to purchase hookah and tobacco from a trusted supplier - an official dealer of a foreign manufacturer. This company is also developing a franchise network in Russia and the CIS countries. The staff will include cooks (2 people), waiters (2 people), hookah workers (3 people) and an administrator. In order to increase labor motivation, wages will be a piece-rate bonus. In total, it is planned to spend 25% of the establishment’s revenue on wages. The organizational and legal form of the establishment will be a limited liability company, that is, a legal entity. As tax systems The simplified tax system will be applied, 6% of revenue. A license to organize this activity is not required.

Marketing and promotion of hookah bar

The hookah bar will be located in a fairly good location, on the first line of houses, with good parking and high car traffic. Within a radius of 500 m there is a large university, a shopping center and a rich area of new buildings. The main clients of the hookah bar are young people aged 20 to 35 years, so the emphasis in the advertising campaign will be on this audience. It is worth noting, however, that advertising of this kind of establishments is very difficult due to many restrictions. For example, outdoor advertising on banners and billboards, radio and TV advertising is prohibited. Therefore, we have identified for ourselves the main ways to promote an establishment that are not subject to legal restrictions:

Posting advertisements in high-traffic areas of potential client audiences: bus stops, nightclubs, universities, entertainment complexes
Creation and promotion of a group on social networks (VKontakte, Instagram). Conducting promotions and competitions in groups
Distribution of flyers and leaflets

Having difficulties with your advertising campaign? You can always bet on social networks. You can promote a group using smmbox.com, quickly and without extra costs. In total, it is planned to spend at least 30,000 rubles on marketing activities. per month.

Financial plan (best performance)

Fixed monthly expenses of the establishment:

Rent of premises - 40,000 rub.
Utility bills - 15,000 rub.
Food products (tea, coffee, cookies) - 20,000 rub.
Household expenses - 15,000 rubles.
Advertising - 30,000 rub.

Total - 120,000 rub.

Variable expenses:

Salary and insurance contributions - 118,125 rubles. (25% of revenue)
Tobacco and ingredients - 47,250 rub. (10% of revenue)
simplified tax system - 28,350 rub. (6% of revenue)

Total - 193,725 rub. Total monthly expenses will average RUR 313,725.

How much can you earn by becoming a hookah bar owner?

The net profit of the hookah bar according to business plan calculations is: 472,500 - 313,725 = 158,775 rubles. per month. The profitability of the establishment is: 50.6%. With such indicators, taking into account the period for business promotion (3-6 months), the return on investment in the business will occur after 9-12 months of operation of the establishment. If you are interested in other ways to make money, read the new book from Territory Investing about where is it profitable to invest money. Investing real money into a running business can generate good income over a long period of time.

What equipment to choose for a hookah bar

To open a hookah bar, you will need the following equipment: It is necessary to purchase high-quality modern hookahs, costing 10,000-15,000 rubles each.

coal, tobacco, smoking mixtures;
replaceable cups, tubes and hoses;
spare flasks;
mouthpieces, flask brush, tongs, foil.

In addition, the hookah bar should be equipped with upholstered furniture and it is advisable to arrange the interior in an oriental style. An atmosphere of rest and relaxation should reign here. The premises for a hookah bar should be spacious, which can be divided into small rooms, up to 10 sq.m. and each client can smoke in a separate room. All hookah bars must be equipped with ventilation and a fire safety system.

Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?

OKVED 2 Section R Activities in the field of culture, sports, leisure and entertainment; OKVED 2 93 Activities in the field of sports, recreation and entertainment; OKVED" 93.2 Activities in the field of recreation and entertainment; OKVED 2 93.29 Other entertainment and entertainment activities.

What documents are needed to open

To open a hookah bar, you need to register a business entity: this can be individual entrepreneur or limited liability company. If alcohol is sold in a hookah bar, then only a limited liability company must be registered. The prepared documents are submitted to government authorities or to multifunctional public service centers (MFCs). Since a business entity is a legal entity, it is necessary to open a bank account.

Permissions to open

To open, you need the following documents:

constituent documents;
permission from the fire department;
3.permission from the sanitary and epidemiological service;
4.license for the sale of tobacco products (if tobacco mixtures will be sold);
license to sell alcoholic beverages. If it is planned to sell alcoholic beverages in public catering establishments, then hookahs with tobacco mixtures are prohibited, since according to Russian legislation, smoking in public catering establishments is prohibited. In such cases, you can offer clients a nicotine-free hookah.

Tax system

Sales technology in a hookah bar

According to Russian legislation, smoking in public catering areas is prohibited. Therefore, you can open a hookah bar, but there should be no drinks or food in the establishment where tobacco mixtures will be sold. Or, if a hookah bar opens in a cafe or restaurant, customers will be offered nicotine-free mixtures. Then the business will carry out its activities according to the law. The best option for a hookah bar is a prestigious restaurant (read the article “ how to open a restaurant") or a good cafe located in the city center or business district. Then there is no need to spend additional funds on promoting the establishment. Clients of a restaurant or cafe can be given flyers advertising a hookah bar. You can agree with the owner of the restaurant and hold periodic promotions. For example, when ordering a certain amount, the client is offered a 50% discount on visiting a hookah room. In addition to hookah smoking, clients can be offered additional services: drinks: tea, coffee, light snacks. But they will be delivered to the hookah bar from a restaurant or cafe and the client will be provided with a separate receipt. You can also make money by selling in a hookah bar without nicotine mixtures, such as fruit ones. The average bill in a hookah bar is about 2,000 rubles, considering that several people are here every day, this is a good indicator for an entrepreneur.

The question of how to open a hookah bar is asked by those who want to start this business, but doubt it, because in Russia there is now a law banning tobacco smoking. However, hookah is quite popular in our country, so there are still enough people who want to open an establishment of this kind.

Hookah business

More recently, a hookah bar was considered a successful investment even for a very modest capital, since the return from the establishment was quite impressive. After all, quite a lot of people don’t mind spending an evening in such an environment, chatting with friends, just relaxing, which is why the demand for hookah bars today exceeds the supply. This means that opening this business allows its owner to count on a fairly quick payback. But how to open a hookah bar according to the laws of 2018 - 2019, without conflicting with them?

What you need to know to open a hookah bar

A hookah bar is, as a rule, a closed room in which it is allowed to smoke special aromatic mixtures through devices designed for this purpose. Various liquids can be used, including water and milk.

Therefore, if you like this particular line of business, first start looking for a suitable premises and resolve the issue with its owner regarding permission to smoke there. Remember that even if it is received, you will still need to install a powerful ventilation system and fulfill a number of requirements from various government agencies.

To open a hookah bar from scratch in 2019, you can:

use a separate room or open veranda (terrace);
equip a zone (room) in any establishment of a certain type, such as a bar, cafe, restaurant or nightclub, in accordance with all requirements;
open a hookah bar in a private apartment.

The second option is preferable, because it allows you to recoup your investment in the establishment in a shorter time. However, the equipment of the zone requires strict compliance with current standards and requirements. At the same time, there are no legislatively established standards specifically for these establishments yet; there are only general requirements that you must familiarize yourself with before opening a hookah bar.

In particular, we are talking about:

on the ban on advertising of tobacco products;
requirements for premises of this type;
equipped with fire alarms and fire extinguishers (in accordance with the standards of the Fire Regulations in the Russian Federation, approved by Government Decree No. 390 dated April 25, 2012).

In addition, in each locality the territorial State Fire Supervision Authority has the right to impose additional requirements.

Don't know your rights?

It is also worth remembering that it is prohibited to open hookah bars not only in non-stationary premises, but also in buildings located in the territories of gas stations, medical institutions, rehabilitation centers, educational and sports institutions, etc.

Let us immediately note that all the requirements and prohibitions relate mainly to tobacco smoking, while law-abiding hookah bar owners now use smoking mixtures without tobacco in them. Moreover, such establishments are increasingly operating as anti-cafes, that is, entrepreneurs are creating closed clubs, membership in which begins with filling out a questionnaire, indicating that each future member of the club has been warned about the dangers of smoking. As for the payment, it is paid not for hookah pleasure, but for a visit to this establishment. However, they also provide home delivery services for hookahs.

What do you need to open a hookah bar?

Now is the time to talk in more detail about what is needed to open a hookah bar. To do this you will have to:

Register with the tax authorities. Since a significant part of purchases involves non-cash payments, it is better to opt for an LLC (limited liability company). We recommend that you read the article “Rights and obligations of LLC participants” - this information will be useful to you both at the stage of registering the company and in the future, already in the process of work.
Purchase or rent a stationary premises, since smoking is prohibited in any other premises.
Obtain official permission from the owner of the premises to smoke hookah.
When equipping the premises, fire safety standards must be observed; supply and exhaust or similar ventilation must be installed to eliminate the possibility of hookah smoke penetrating outside the hookah bar area, where it can create discomfort for people who are not visitors.

It is better to place information regarding permission to smoke in a visible area, this will help to avoid additional claims from regulatory (supervisory) authorities.

When purchasing equipment for smoking hookahs, try to choose one that minimizes the participation of citizens in this process; When installing it, follow the requirements for ensuring the protection of the health of workers in the establishment.

How much does it cost to open a hookah bar?

Speaking about how to open a hookah bar, one cannot help but mention how much money is required to open such an establishment. Average monthly expenses will be approximately:

rental of premises - 10-15 thousand rubles. and higher (much depends on its area and location);
decoration of the hall, including interior items and furniture - 300-350 thousand rubles;
equipment and components - 30-40 thousand rubles;
coal, smoking mixtures - 70-80 thousand rubles;
salary - approximately 100-120 thousand rubles;
necessary goods - 15-20 thousand rubles.

Thus, opening a hookah bar will cost at least half a million rubles.

Prospects for opening a hookah bar in 2019

It would seem that when talking about how to open a hookah bar, one can say with a clear conscience that this business is very promising, since smoking non-tobacco mixtures is not prohibited by law, but this is only for today. The fact is that the Ministry of Health is constantly lobbying on the issue of tightening legal standards regarding hookahs - even when using smoking mixtures that do not contain tobacco. Bills have been repeatedly introduced into the State Duma of the Russian Federation proposing a complete ban on them.

What is the reason for this insistence of legislators? The Ministry of Health cites as an argument the fact that when several people smoke a hookah, the risk of them becoming infected with serious diseases, including tuberculosis, increases. Also, medical experts are confident that mixtures, even if they do not contain nicotine, still cause harm to the human body - no less than other combustion products.

So far, legal norms affect hookah bars only indirectly, but this may be a temporary phenomenon, since draft federal law No. 720716-6 is currently being considered by legislators. It stipulates penalties in the form of penalties for violations of the rules of operation of hookah areas - both open and closed. But it is worth mentioning that the law has been under consideration for several years, and there has been no movement towards the adoption of the act.

In general, such rules have not yet been developed and, accordingly, are not in effect. In addition to the State Duma, they will be installed by the Ministry of Health together with the State Construction Committee. Over time, perhaps, all the legal norms provided for by the Code of Administrative Offenses for smoking will be supplemented with the word “hookah”, etc. So the question of how to open a hookah bar without violating the law still actually remains open.

Business in Russia. Guides to starting a business in the regions.
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* The calculations use average data for Russia

1,010,000 RUR

Starting investments

Not less than 50 sq.m.

Required area

From 12 months

Payback period

55%

Profitability

Opening your own hookah bar is a very promising endeavor, especially in big cities, but there are many difficulties in the first stages when you need to register and obtain permission to operate a smoking room.

Today, even in big cities, there are not very many hookah bars, unless you consider only individual establishments as such. Typically, a hookah bar is a part of a restaurant or cafe, for which a special area is allocated and there is a separate list of services. But at the same time, the hookah bar is a separate organization, and sometimes even the hookah bar and the restaurant itself are different business entities.

How to correctly classify the economic activity of a hookah bar

It is important to choose the correct classifier of economic activity. The best definition in this case is (OKPD 2) 93.29 Other services in the field of entertainment and recreation. It should be noted that if you plan to register a hookah bar in a cafe, then in some cases, in order to maintain the legality of your business, it is better to register two separate business entities.

There may be several definitions here depending on the format of work: (OKPD 2) 10.56.11 Food services with full restaurant service, (OKPD 2) 10.56.13 Food services in self-service establishments, (OKPD 2) 10.56.19 Services for the provision of food, others, (OKPD 2) 56.30 Services for serving drinks, but any of these classifiers refers to catering services, therefore, de jure, smoking tobacco-containing products in them will be prohibited. It is for this purpose that an additional enterprise is being organized - a hookah bar - which, although it will be located on the territory of the cafe (restaurant) or next to it, must be isolated, and drinks or food there will be supplied from the cafe (restaurant), and not prepared on the spot.

Currently, the law restricts smoking only to tobacco, but hookahs are not always made using it. There are electronic hookahs, hookahs with special stones and some others that do not use mixtures that contain tobacco; they can be smoked in public establishments without any restrictions. Therefore, if you plan not to offer hookahs with tobacco, then you can do without such legal tricks.

Registration and opening of your own cafe, restaurant, or other public catering establishment in this case is completely identical to the registration of a public catering establishment without a hookah, and was discussed in more detail in the relevant articles. Many entrepreneurs open their own hookah bar on the territory of an already operating restaurant or cafe owned by another organization.

To do this, as you might guess, you need to have friendly relations with the owner of such an establishment or offer him fairly favorable terms of cooperation. A separate hookah bar without the opportunity to eat or drink is of no interest to almost anyone, except perhaps the biggest connoisseurs who cannot afford to buy a quality hookah.

Cooperation with an already operating restaurant, cafe or other catering establishment allows you to start your work in an already known place with a large flow of clients, but sometimes it is much more profitable for the owners of these establishments to organize a hookah bar on their own than to work with another entrepreneur; In this regard, it is almost always necessary to organize your own cafe in addition to the hookah bar.

Approximately the same requirements are imposed on the hookah bar premises, but taking into account the specifics of this premises, special attention will be paid to the fire safety of the ventilation system. According to the law, a hookah bar or other place specially designated for smoking must be equipped with a good exhaust hood, a smoke removal system and be fully inspected by the fire inspector.

In this regard, you will have to be patient to obtain all permits, because it is possible that there will be many complaints from the inspection authorities. Many companies that install ventilation and fire systems already have some experience in installing systems for hookah bars, so there is a chance that competent specialists will immediately do everything according to the letter of the law.

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For a hookah bar, a small room will be enough, which is better divided into separate small zones that are allocated for each specific visitor or company. That is, in a hookah bar, people should be fenced off from each other, essentially being in separate rooms. This not only contributes to the creation of an atmosphere, but also allows you to more accurately meet the legal requirements for the allocation of smoking areas.

Each room should be approximately 10 m2 in size, but it is best to have larger rooms for larger groups. Some hookah bars are initially large enough to have a considerable number of rooms, which are also spacious. From here the total area of the room is calculated, which can be the size of one small room, existing as a small addition to the cafe, or a fairly large establishment that can accommodate many visitors at once.

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Depending on the size of the room, the cost of installing ventilation and smoke removal will vary. It consists of many parameters, which can additionally include automation, humidification, air conditioning, dehumidification, video surveillance and much more. For 100 square meters, a full complex of design, installation and purchase of additional devices with subsequent installation can cost approximately 150 thousand rubles.

The presence or preparation of such systems in a cafe, with which you just have to establish connections and communications, rather than carry out a full installation, can significantly increase or, conversely, reduce costs. The installation should also include the purchase and installation of an audio system, because not a single hookah bar, or even a public establishment in general, can do without sound.

In order to be popular with visitors, the hookah bar has its own surroundings and a recreated atmosphere of Arab countries. However, the theme of the establishment can be anything, the main thing is that the inside of the premises should be comfortable and pleasant for visitors. If you plan to work with any restaurant or cafe, usually the hookah bar is designed in the same style as the partner’s establishment. If you are organizing your own restaurant with a hookah bar, it is better to make both establishments as one, designed in the same style.

If you do not have artistic talent or experience in space planning, then it is better to turn to professional designers who can create an interior project that is ergonomic, consistent with atmosphere, aesthetic appeal and a psychological approach to the arrangement of the room. In this area, the services of a designer can greatly influence the final appearance of the establishment, which will have a positive effect on its attractiveness to the client.

The cost of a design project may vary depending on the package of services offered, but the minimum cost is approximately 90 thousand rubles per 100 m2. Designers will create a technical plan and design for the arrangement of furniture and other interior elements, according to which further equipment of the room can be carried out. This includes interior decoration, purchasing and placement of furniture, decoration and other minor work.

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The cost of purchasing furniture is difficult to calculate, because you can buy both completely inexpensive products and elite-class products, the cost of which exceeds all other expense items. Together with audio equipment, a computer, a cash register and auxiliary equipment, the arrangement of a hookah bar can be provided for about 200 thousand rubles; for this money, more or less normal furniture and decorations can be placed on 100 m2.

In order to recreate the Arabian ambience, some entrepreneurs even organize tents, which are separate rooms for visitors. Any additional devices and accessories can significantly affect the price of the project, so the figure of 200 thousand rubles is very arbitrary.

Making a menu for a hookah bar

As already noted, for a hookah bar you need to provide several additional services. Therefore, in addition to smoking a hookah, drinks are offered, at least tea and coffee, some light snacks, in the case of a restaurant - a full menu, but all food and drinks must go through the cash desk of a cooperating cafe or restaurant, and it is prepared there. This was done primarily to comply with the law, because smoking in places where food is eaten and/or prepared is definitely prohibited, but no one is restricted from eating in places specially equipped for smoking.

In addition to the menu, some other services can be offered in the hookah bar, for example, the provision of board games, cards and chess, sometimes even holding competitions, and in the case of a common room focused on the atmosphere of the Middle East, girls can even dance the corresponding dances on a common stage. A hookah bar is a place of quiet and relaxation, with a certain atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility; people expect dim lights and quiet music.

Hookahs, compared to all other expense items, will not require as much investment from the entrepreneur, although, of course, there are items that have an unusual shape or are generally a unique design solution and therefore cost a lot of money. The cheapest hookah can be bought for about one thousand rubles, but it will be a small product that is difficult to enjoy smoking through, so the hookah bar buys normal specimens that cost from three thousand rubles.

It is a rare company that orders two hookahs at once; usually it is smoked in a circle by each person in succession, but it is still better to have two or three spare hookahs for those designed for each room. In general, hookahs and accessories for them will cost approximately fifty thousand rubles. In the future, the cost of tobacco, foil, filling and coals will be included in the price of the hookah, and therefore paid by the consumer.

To do the work, first of all, you need to hire special people who make, smoke, and serve the hookah - hookah workers. Several visitors can be served by one employee; he has no more responsibilities than an ordinary waiter. Only the hookah man takes a significant amount of money from the cost of the hookah he makes - after all, he exchanges health for money. Waiters and administrators will de jure work in a cafe or restaurant, but will also serve a hookah bar. In addition to hookah workers, only a hookah bar may require the involvement of dancers; all other duties are performed either by employees of a cafe or restaurant, or are outsourced (for example, accounting).

Financial plan for a hookah bar

Currently, the cost of a hookah can vary depending on the filler used in the mixture being smoked. Very often, not only soft drinks are used as a filler, for example in water, juice or milk, but also strong alcoholic drinks, and they can use cognac, absinthe, and even champagne, and many other alcohols too. Therefore, it is much easier to engage in the sale of alcohol in cooperation with a restaurant, because it will probably already have a license to do so.

If you don’t consider alcoholic hookahs, you can make quite good money by offering customers a wide variety of mixtures with different tastes. At the same time, the mixture does not necessarily have to contain tobacco, there are special so-called fruit mixtures that do not give the effect of smoking tobacco, the smoke from which is safe, which in fact can be smoked anywhere, but at the same time they are suitable only for those who like the process of smoking a hookah, not the resulting effect.

Special stones can also be used, which, when heated, give the sensation of smoking a hookah, and even electronic analogues of hookahs, which are hookahs just as much as an electronic cigarette is a regular cigarette. Due to many of these factors, the cost of the cheapest hookah starts at about 500 rubles, but a normal one can be ordered for about a thousand.

For connoisseurs, complex compositions can be created from several fillers and special mixtures, which cost the client several thousand. The average bill in hookah bars is approximately two thousand rubles, considering that several people smoke hookah at the same time, this is not a very high price for a visitor, but for an entrepreneur it is quite a good indicator. A well-known establishment will never be idle, and therefore we can talk about good profitability of this endeavor.