Hookah Lounge Crackdown

I feel like the issues with hookah lounges go back a few years. It also seemed to spark discussion.

• https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1ju56hl/seattle_hookah_lounge_where_2_men_were_killed/I
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1h907ya/5_people_shot_in_seattles_chinatown_international/

I also assumed that the city didn’t care! Hookah lounges go back pre-COVID. Imagine my surprise when I saw a recent mainstay closed early (King Lounge / Caravel Lounge). I looked up the little citation strip someone put on the door. The number led me to the Office of the Hearing Examiner’s IRIS website, which also listed citations for these hookah lounges (and more!).

• https://web6.seattle.gov/Examiner/case/CIT-AHNL-25-07-004
• https://web6.seattle.gov/Examiner/case/CIT-AHNL-25-07-005
• https://web6.seattle.gov/Examiner/case/CIT-AHNL-25-07-002
• https://web6.seattle.gov/Examiner/case/CIT-AHNL-25-07-003
• https://web6.seattle.gov/Examiner/case/CIT-AHNL-25-07-001

The citations are self-explanatory in that these places were serving liquor, and having the bars “outside” the doors didn’t at all conform with the current liquor laws.

My experience of hookah lounges have been mostly positive, but I recognize that every one I’ve been to downtown serves alcohol past 2 am. People drink too much because the car trunk bars over serve people. The bars also took over other business’ space. I don’t have proof but I’d die on the hill my favorite pho spot closes before 10PM these days because the aunties who made pho couldn’t deal with people shouting at each other over plastic handles of vodka and whiskey.

I think Seattle should be able to party after 2am, don’t get me wrong, but at the same time I don’t get how they operated for so long abusing labor laws and liquor laws. At least it’s hopefully guiding them all to actually operating like a normal bar.