The next new venture for the Renegade Reps crew is upon us. On a recent trip to the Middle East, I fell in love with smoking shisha. When I returned to the states and wanted to share my new hookahs that I had bought, I was surprised at how many folks really wanted to try it, but never actually took the dive. Sharing with my friends proved one other major point as well - everyone loved it.
Well, when there are a wealth of people interested in something and are hesitant to try it, it's a perfect opportunity to get it introduced around. Of course, opening a hookah lounge would be the perfect opportunity, but there are plenty around and a hookah lounge forces folks to come inside. Taking that first step inside can be scary to those who have not been introduced. The answer, as far as I am concerned, is to bring the hookah experience to them.
Getting started has not been interesting, to say the least. As a Renegade Reps brand, one thing we absolutely see as a priority is authenticity. Well, authentic ain't easy these days when you want to bring hookahs in from the Middle East. Egypt to be specific. We have been working with a few Egyptian manufacturers who produce 100% handmade pipes from tin and brass. Language barrier aside, there are several safety issues right now that make it difficult not only to travel around Egypt, but possibly also to enter the country in the future. A risk to be sure. But I love Egypt and handmade pipes from Egypt are a very exciting proposition.
The plan for this new venture is two-fold. The first is that we will be available at local bars with hookahs for rent. We have set up a permanent weekend spot at Cafe Davinci in DeLand and will be renting hookahs at that location. We also have set up a few beer and hookah pairing events around the Volusia County area and we will keep everyone posted on that. I am not sure if beer and hookah pairings have a precedent, so this could be a revolutionary experience. Kinda excited.
The second purpose of Renegade Reps Hookah is for home parties, corporate events, festivals, etc. We have been lucky enough to score some really great decor for having home parties and a friend of mine was able to sew together a beautiful series of curtains and pillows to add to the environment (see pictures on right). We can use these curtains to enclose a tent for outdoor events or evening private parties. Again, a very cool thing that we kinda lucked into when we were chatting one night about the possibilities of what we could put together. The result was at once dazzling and functional. As the Egyptian culture is a colorful one, we focused on bright and vibrant colors. The contrasts turned out brilliant and I am very proud of what we have assembled.
In addition to what the Renegades are currently offering, we are looking to move forward into offering several authentically Egyptian beverages to enjoy with your smoke. My personal favorite is the Mint Lemonade that I found in every restaurant and bar in Egypt and I could not resist myself but to order every single time. A very simple beverage, but extremely refreshing and I am brought back to Luxor every time I have one.
Of course, we are available 7 days a week and can custom any experience for you from a casual setting to a formal event, home or office, inside or out. Feel free to contact us and we can set up a time and place. Cheers!