What's a Midnight Hookah?

The Town Council has been adamant that their BYOB ordinance is not intended for and will not result in the closure of any business. How can this be when the we have so many letters, including one from the owner Hassam Abudawood declaring that this will close his business.

It is possible that you, like the Town Council, may also be confused by how a 1 AM curfew on alcohol consumption would be so devastating to a business that doesn't make its money from alcohol. To understand this, it is vital to understand the actual nature of this business.

Knowing little about this culture or business, I spent twelve hours at Midnight Hookah over two nights, from 10 PM to 4 AM on consecutive evenings. Below is a summary of the business model from a combination of direct observations and conversations with staff and patrons.

Midnight Hookah's hours are posted at 6 PM to 2 AM Sunday through Thursday and 6 PM to 4 AM on Friday and Saturday. However, nearly all of their business occurs during the hours I was present: Friday and Saturday evening.

The term lounge is highly accurate for what goes on at this business. While there is music, and some people dance, many are there to relax, people watch, and socialize. Approximately 50% of patrons appeared to be consuming alcohol. About 40-60% smoked hookah.

On weekend evenings, patrons are charged a $15 cover charge to enter the lounge. This was instituted early on. When Midnight Hookah first opened, there were some undesirable individuals who showed up and made some trouble. The addition of a cover charge caused them to move elsewhere and resolve many of the initial safety issues that appeared in the first few weeks.

This charge roughly covers the cost of the professional security staff who protect the facility and its patrons. I'll discuss their process in greater detail below.

The first security staff comes on between 10 PM and 11 PM, and a trickle of patrons come in before 1 AM. 

Photo taken at 1:15 AM on Friday (Saturday morning)

The bulk of patrons arrive after 2 AM and continue to arrive until about 3:30 AM. The lounge really only active from about 2:15 AM until about 3:30 AM. Between 3:30 and 3:45 AM the lights are turned on and patrons are gradually encouraged to depart.

What do people do there?

The dynamic is somewhat different from a nightclub or bar, largely owing to the fact that there is no bar. In a nightclub or bar, the bar becomes a focal point. People congregate around the bar, and there will be a constant flow to and from that point. Many other such establishments I have observed are more congested in their layout.

Video taken at 2:58 AM

At Midnight Hookah, the floorplan is much more open and less congested. Many people come in groups and hang out around a table or two around the edge. As the lounge becomes more crowded, more people will move out to the dance floor. Similar to an event like a wedding reception, after a few brave dancers get started, others will go and join them.

Watching the patrons, one will see people are there to enjoy themselves in a variety of different ways. If you look at the 2:58 AM Video above, you'll first see some patrons reclining on the couch and people-watching. You'll then see some people along the wall with the DJ booth sitting around tables. Some are smoking hookah, some are drinking. The ladies to my right who waved at the camera were all smoking hookah and occasionally dancing.

Later in the evening, as you can see in this next video taken at 3:27 AM, there are people present, and more dancing and mingling.

Video taken at 3:27 AM

Alcohol

When I first came to observe the lounge, I had a certain preconception of how alcohol played into the environment. I learned a great deal through observation.

I had expected to see beer, which would be a logical drink for people who are just using it to get intoxicated. However, what I saw was that alcohol was much more of a symbol of status and prestige than merely a way to get "messed up."

As an example, there will be patrons who will bring in very expensive bottles of Dominican Rum that they acquired through relatives or visits to the Dominican Republic. Putting a bottle like this on the table is similar culturally to driving up in a Mercedes or wearing an expensive watch. It is more for the presentation than the consumption, and sharing it with friends is a way to demonstrate prestige.

In the 3:27 AM video, there is a woman dancing with a bottle in her hand. Again, the bottle in this case is a symbol of prestige. Carrying an expensive bottle while dancing indicates status, not drunkenness. This woman, who was at the lounge both nights I was there, appeared to be well in control of her faculties and never "overserved" or showing any signs of being drunk.

It can be easy to look at another culture through the eyes of one's own culture and draw quick conclusions, but it is important not to because that is the root of prejudice.

Security

Security was led by a man named Tim who spoke at the Town Council on the night of the their vote. He has decades of experience in bars and clubs working as security and in management, and his competence in his work was apparent from the first few minutes talking to him. The team also included an off duty corrections officer, and other men who showed a high level of experience and professionalism.

Every person who approached the door showed ID and received a pat down. Some exceptions for ID were made for people that Tim was personally familiar with (if you were over 21 for the last three weeks, it's reasonable to assume you are still over 21 tonight) but it was otherwise quite comprehensive, and no one under 21 is allowed inside the lounge on weekend evenings.

Pat downs for drugs and weapons are common in many nightclubs and bars that have security. The venue has a responsibility for the safety of their patrons, and it is reasonable and prudent to take this basic precaution to ensure that no one is bringing a weapon inside. It was clear from the reaction of the patrons that they found the pat down to be expected and normal. Security carried them out with obvious competence.

Unlike some other facilities in Groton, there have been no violent incidents involving a weapon at Midnight Hookah since security was put into place.

I had the opportunity to speak with the members of the security at length, and was quite impressed by what I heard. They explained the importance of both knowing how to de-escalate a situation and also the importance of being able to use force to contain a situation when necessary.

Indeed I did not witness a single situation during either evening when security personnel were required to deal with any kind of altercation, and my research shows that there have been no significant violent incidents inside or in the immediate vicinity of the lounge since the current security policies and procedures were put into place.

Closing Time

It is important to understand what a venue and their security are legally responsible for and what they are not. They are responsible for what happens in and directly around their space. They are not responsible for what happens down the street, around the corner, or even in the back of a common parking lot.

Most bars and nightclubs, at closing time, will push everyone outside, lock the doors, turn off the lights, and go home, when there are still dozens or even sometimes hundreds of people in the parking lot. This is where most problems, especially fights and violence, occur at most bars and nightclubs.

Unlike most other venues, the security team remains on site and observing until all or most patrons have left the grounds.

A few months ago, the police requested that, instead of pushing everyone out all at once, they try to get people to leave over a longer period, preventing the situation of 70 people all hanging out in the parking lot. The main danger in such a situation is the chance of a car hitting a person in the parking lot is greatly increased with such crowding. This is, of course, in addition to the much less common situation of a fight.

They immediately implemented this change: turning the lights on to suggest people start leaving around 3:30-3:45 but not actually telling them to leave until 4:00. This has been highly effective in creating a safer transition.

The People

While only about half of the patrons drink, about 80% would not attend if there were no alcohol. The presence of alcohol is a signal in our culture that this is a party. If alcohol is not present, then a certain group of people who only attend parties with alcohol, would not attend. Those people are often the same people who get the dancing started and drive much of the energy. People who come to people-watch, will have no people to watch.

The fact that the lounge does not pick up until 2 AM is at least partly because people expect it to pick up at 2 AM. I witnessed a number of people showing up between midnight and 2 AM, seeing an empty room and leaving.

During my time there, I spoke with two people who worked at Electric Boat, one from Foxwoods, a chef from a New London restaurant, and a variety of other people. Some people are there because they get out of work late, and this is one of the only business in the area that is still open. Some are there because they were at another bar or a party. Some are there because they like hookah. Some are there for a mix of those reasons.

Everyone I spoke to seemed to be a decent, law abiding, tax paying citizen. They were not hoodlums. They were my neighbors from right here in Groton, although people do visit the lounge from other areas, and tourists in Mystic also patronize the business.

The Ordinance
For those who would argue this ordinance is a safety issue would see that Midnight Hookah has made every effort to ensure the safety of its patrons during and after their normal operating hours.

It is fairly obvious to anyone familiar with how the business actually functions that a 1 AM curfew on alcohol would immediately shut down the business. Midnight Hookah's patrons enjoy the luxury of being able to bring their own alcohol, should they decide to enjoy a drink while smoking hookah. Removing that option during the hours in which most of their patrons visit the establishment would deter them from going there again, therefore reducing the amount of patrons, not meeting the costs and payroll of the Security Team, and having to shut down. Anyone who would say that this ordnance would not close this business is clearly not familiar with how this business functions.