Whittier council OKs second hookah bar

It's taken Umar Sohrab of Glendora about six months, but after City Council approval earlier this week he hopes to open the city's second hookah bar.

His new business will operate at Serenity Plaza, 6518 Greenleaf Ave., and is expected to open in about two months, Sohrab said.

"I'm really happy because of all of the time and money invested in the project," said Sohrab. "From the get-go, I had a good feeling they would approve me."

Sohrab, who now manages his brother's GNC store at the Whittwood Towne Center, said he wanted to open a hookah bar because he frequents them and thinks a second one will do well in Whittier.

"They're always packed," he said. "The profit margin should be good. Whittier's a large city and there's just one here. A lot of the surrounding cities don't have hookah bars. I thought there might be an opportunity to create a new one."

Sohrab, 22, applied to the city in January and the Planning Commission approved it June 6.

But he had to wait until Tuesday to get a hearing from the City Council after Mayor Cathy Warner asked for review of the item.

Warner said she had concerns about the business.

"I wanted to review the city's ordinance and the parameters of the conditional-use permit," she said.

"The nature of the business is not one I care for," she said. "(But) that's not the issue. Is the business legally permitted and has the business owner followed all of the steps and regulations?"
Warner said once she determined the answers were yes, she voted for it.

It was her vote, along with council members Owen Newcomer and Greg Nordbak, that provided the necessary votes to approve the bar.

Councilman Bob Henderson had to recuse himself because his insurance agency is near the site of the bar and Councilman Joe Vinatieri voted "present," the same as an abstention.

Vinatieri said there are certain types of businesses in Whittier he will never support.

"I won't support a medical marijuana clinic and I won't support a massage parlor," he said. "I'm not pro-business for everything that wants to open up in Whittier because we have standards and want to be as family-friendly as possible."

Nordbak said he saw no reason to object to the business.

"We have been preaching for two years to support business in our community," he said.

"It's hypocritical not to allow a new business in our community because we don't do it or approve of it," Nordbak said. "I don't like hookah bars and don't approve of the concept but it's in compliance with our Uptown Specific Plan."

Vinatieri also objected because a 2009 study found that hookah is associated with more carbon monoxide and nicotine exposure than cigarettes.

Sohrab said he doesn't think that's true.

"I don't think it's worse than cigarettes," he said. "I'm not saying it's harmless."

Smoking a hookah is different from cigarettes because it's a mixture of tobacco, honey and vegetable glycerin, he said.

"When you're smoking a cigarette, it's dried tobacco," Sohrab said. "(Hookah) slows down the burning rate because you're not consuming the toxins of tar and ash."