by Daniel Trujillo
Daily Lobo
Downtown has a new bar, but it doesn't serve any alcohol.
At C&D's Bubble Lounge, a hookah bar, guests can sit on small couches and puff on Havana brand tobacco in a number of flavors such as apple, grape, mint, melon and cappuccino, just to name a few.
The lounge at 506 Central Ave. has been open for four weeks.
A hookah stands a few feet tall and consists of a pipe, a glass base and a hose. The hose ends in a nozzle, which is plastic and disposable for sanitary reasons.
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According to the lounge's Web site, the origin of the hookah dates back more than 500 years and can be traced to Turkey, Iran and Egypt.
"It's a social practice," said Carlos Montanez, the owner and operator of the lounge. "Everyone is welcome here."
People must be 18 or older to smoke, but all ages are welcome at the lounge.
"People come and stay for hours," Montanez said. "One guy came and stayed for six hours."
People of all ages patronize the bar, he said.
"I had a woman in her 80s with her 60-year-old daughter come in and smoke," Montanez said.
The lounge serves Turkish coffees, Middle Eastern teas and more traditional beverages such as sodas and energy drinks.
It also offers a small menu of food. Customers can find items such as hummus, baba ghanoush, baklava and of course, breakfast burritos.
Montanez said he got the idea after visiting similar bars.
"I was working in the Middle East with the government and thought this would be a great idea," he said.
The lounge took a long time to get established, Montanez said.
"It took me a year and five months to get to where I am today," he said. "I was turned down by a few banks. One asked me if it (a hookah) could be used for drugs."
Sophomore Carmelita Parraz said she liked the Middle Eastern and Moroccan decorations.
"It's a different atmosphere," she said "It's very comforting."
She said it was her first time smoking from a hookah, and she preferred it to regular tobacco.
"It's really relaxing and better tasting," she said. "It's more smooth."
Patrtons Tammy Lovato and Tracy Garcia agreed with Parraz about the laid-back atmosphere.
In a separate room that houses an oxygen bar, it's perfectly OK to inhale, because guests breathe 95 percent to 98 percent oxygen mixed with various scents.
According to an information sheet in the lounge, breathing this nearly pure concentration of oxygen relieves headaches, including those caused by hangovers.
Professional belly dancers perform every other weekend.
"I try to have something for everyone," Montanez said.
"People are welcome to stay as long as they like. This is a place to relax."