Miami Seaside hookah lounge house owners decry metropolis’s ban on public space service as commissioners think about modifications – WSVN 7News | Miami Information, Climate, Sports activities

MIAMI BEACH, FL. (WSVN) – Hookah lounge owners in Miami Beach said a citywide ban on hookah service in public areas is killing their business, and they took their case before city commissioners.

7News cameras on Wednesday night captured the outdoor seating area at D’vine Hookah Lounge on Lincoln Road nearly empty.

The owner of the business, Claudia Herman, said she has seen a 60% slump since October.

“It’s devastating. This is completely killing our business,” she said.

In October, the Miami Beach Commission banned hookah sales on public property as part of their effort to clean up the city.

The move is bad news for businesses with cafe contracts to use public property on Lincoln Road.

When customers are told they have to smoke inside, Herman said, they walk away.

“‘No, we don’t want to,’ and they keep on going,” she said.

Herman and the owners of two other hookah bars on Lincoln Road had been trying to persuade city leaders to reconsider.

“It’s not going to put forth the results they wanted, and also, it doesn’t make sense,” said Erdem Aynali with Groovy’s Bar and Pizza, “and we’re just going to be collateral damage.”

A change to the ban was up for discussion among commissioners on Wednesday.

“The argument is not about hookah. For me, the argument is about policy that maintains the integrity of the public’s property,” said Group 3 Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez.

On the table was a resolution to allow the city manager to make exceptions for some businesses on Lincoln Road.

“Depending on their discussion and their criteria to allow hookahs at certain restaurants that have been operating that way for a very long time,” said Group 1 Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez.

“I’m not a fan of these operators, but I’m not a fan of putting people out of business as well,” said Group 6 Commissioner David Richardson.

“If they have, in fact, complied with the all the laws, I would be open to entertaining a way to accommodate them,” said Group 5 Commissioner Ricky Arriola.

After spending more than an hour discussing the matter, commissioners were unable to reach a decision. They pushed the item to a Feb. 1, 2023 meeting.

Herman said tabling the issue means two more months of barely getting by.

“I don’t understand why the City of Miami Beach doesn’t understand how this law is affecting so many people,” she said.

The Lincoln Road business owners said dozens of hookah lounges on Ocean Drive have been able to continue to operate despite the ban by bringing the hookah services onto hotel terraces, an option the other businesses do not have.

Copyright 2022 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox