Q&A With Olla Bowls

 

Honestly when I started this blog I had no idea where I can reach and people I would get for a Q&A. Today we are interviewing Olla Bowls. Most of you know by now Olla is an Italian based bowl making company. With the help of multiple people their bowls are available in the states. Let’s get to it.

Can you explain the viewers who you are?

Lucrezia Conti – Founder

Half Italian and half Croatian, since I was a teenager I’ve always been creative an passionate about travel, different cultures and internationality, that’s why I’ve always travelled a lot around the world. During my trips, I loved smoking hookahs in different countries, admiring different designs, shapes and trying different tobacco tastes. After getting my Master’s degree in International law, I realized I wanted to combine my passion for internationality with my creativity, and find a path which would have made me happy. By combining these two things with my enthusiasm for smoking hookahs, I had the idea of creating something unique: handcrafted hookahs and related items with an Italian touch! 

How long have you been smoking hookah?

A few years.

What is your favorite hookah tobacco?

I am overwhelmed by the Cactus flavor of Fantasia. Another evergreen tobacco for me is Azure Peach.

What brands are accessible at where you live?

Unfortunately there are few brands available around here, like Al-Fakher and Prince Molasses. Despite that, we manage to get good quality tobaccos from all over the world.

Why the name Olla Bowls?

In ancient Rome, the world “Olla”was used to call terracotta bowls which were mainly used to cook or store food.

How do you get your ideas for new “batch’s of bowls”?

My first source of inspirations is my country. I consider myself to be very lucky because I was born in Italy. History, culture, beauty, art, design, and traditions are the foundation of our beautiful country from which I get inspired everyday.

What makes Olla Bowls unique?

Olla Bowls, is a revolutionary choice which allows you to smoke without using metal items, making your Hookah session healthier, in order to savor the pure taste of your favorite tobaccos. Moreover the uniqueness, high quality design, attention to detail, ease-of- use and the small imperfections, due to the handcrafted creation of the items, make of our products italian masterpieces that remark the love our team and our master craftsman put in producing such pieces.

When the clients test our products it’s usually “Love at first session”.

What are Olla Bowls made out of?

Our bowls are the result of a secret mix of Italian white clay and Italian glaze for food use.

What was your reason behind starting Olla Bowls?

Exploiting the fact that Hookah industry is not developed and widespread in Italy, I decided to found Zing Shisha in June and Olla Bowls in December 2019. We started producing our collections in Florence, creating products which embody art, beauty, history and quality thanks also to our Master Craftsman who is able to turn our design-related ideas into realty, creating and painting each piece in an extraordinary way.
I spend a lot of time designing new products in order to satisfy the most our customers’ needs. Love and passion for my job are the main elements which encourage me to keep creating high-quality and beautiful products, and work very hard to improve and grow our business every day.

What countries currently have your product ?

We ship our products all over the world through our online store www.ollabowls.com. Our products are currently available in: Cyprus, Germany, Spain, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong.

This is only the beginning. We’re looking forward to expanding our business all over the world. That’s an important goal to us.

Any other accessories besides bowls and vases will you be coming out with?

We have several projects we’re currently working on. Some of them have been already launched like: hookahs https://ollabowls.com/collections/hookah  , vases https://ollabowls.com/collections/hookah-vases , foil poker https://ollabowls.com/collections/foil-pokers ,  handle https://ollabowls.com/collections/accessories .  Regardless, we’re never tired of working hard and constantly finding solutions to satisfy the best our clients. News is coming soon!

What would you be doing if not Olla Bowls?

I couldn’t imagine my life without Olla, every day I wake up ready to find out what my day will be like and I love it. After my law degree in International Law, I immediately dedicated myself to trying to create something unique in the field of Italian-style hookahs since no one had ever tried it, I felt like my country was missing in this world. It is a great achievement for us to be present in many countries around the world and to represent Italian craftsmanship, art and history as pioneers.

What do you like to do on your free time?

During my free time I love testing our products to make sure we’re offering our clients the best products ever. I also love travelling and discovering new cultures. That’s how Olla Bowls was born, because I had the idea of creating the brand during on a trip in Europe.

We’re also planning to host an amazing party, next year, where all our guest will have the pleasure to test and smoke our Hookahs and visit our beautiful country, so… Stay tuned!

 

Q&A with Alex Leguizamon aka Hookah Sloth

Can you tell the viewers about yourself?

My name is Alex Leguizamon. Online I go by thelonesloth primarily but on Instagram I go by hookahsloth. Some people just call me sloth as well!

When did you first get into hookah?

I first tried hookah back in 2011 with a friend at the time and I did it pretty casually until about 2012-2013. My friend told me about the reddit community and that’s when I really started to learn about the intricacies of hookah. I was hooked.

What was the first flavor you smoked?

My first flavor is a common one, Starbuzz Blue Mist. We were smoking out of a small pumpkin hookah with quicklights.

What was your first hookah you purchased?

My first pipe was a Pharaoh hookah. Picked it up from the local wholesaler for the area for about 60-80 dollars. I thought it was so cool at the time but once I learned a bit more about hookah I picked up my first KM in 2013. I still have that trimetal in my collection.

What flavors are accessible in your area?

I recently moved to Philadelphia, PA and I’m pretty sure the best around here is probably Al Fakher and Starbuzz. Before I lived near Miami, FL where the options were plentiful. There was Tangiers, Trifecta, Eternal Smoke, amongst other brands.

How do you differentiate yourself from most Instagram hookah influencers?

What I aim for on my page is quality and I think the thing that makes myself stick/ what I’m most proud of is the quality of images that I post. I researched cameras and picked up the best one I could with my budget. I learned everything I could about photography and photo editing and went from there. On top of that unlike many other Instagram pages I do reviews. I post photos from them on my Instagram and I also post them to my website: https://thelonesloth.com. I try and make myself as approachable as possible and I assist as many people as I can that want to learn more about hookah as well.

How would you rate Hookah bars in your area?

I haven’t been to any in the Philadelphia area but in Miami there were several Russian owned lounges, The Hookah Lab, Flame Lounge, and the Sobe Hookah Lounge. All 3 that I went to are excellent choices if you’re into the Russian way of hookah.

Where do you see your Instagram in 5 years?

I’m not exactly sure where I’ll end up with Instagram but my goal is to make it big not only by follower numbers but by displaying my work and helping people. I really enjoy the Instagram community. There are a lot of people willing to learn and overall it’s just a fun time where I can talk to new people.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Of course, I smoke hookah often but I also spend a lot of my free time on Instagram/review content for the rest of the week. I do like playing games as well. My favorite series of game is Super Smash Bros. For 5 years I competed in local, regional, and national sized tournaments. I’ve sunk a lot of time into the game and I’m pretty decent at it as well. If you’re wondering, I play Snake in the most recent iteration of the game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other than that I spend time with my girlfriend and like to hang out with my dogs.

What is your biggest accomplishment regarding hookah?

My biggest accomplishment is how many people I’ve been able to help along the way. That’s really why I do all this. I don’t do the Instagram content, reviews, or blogs for myself. What I get out of it is more than a few products given to me here and there. That isn’t what it’s all about or important to me. I enjoy helping people learn how to better enjoy hookah. Making honest content is my pleasure and the more people I can help, the better.

If you could make one change in the hookah market what would it be?

I think that the enthusiast hookah market is making a good trend upward but something I’d like to see change is the amount of quality modern pipes at the $100 price point. Many of the hookahs we see coming to America are high in quality but also high in price. I think a lot more people would be interested in hookah and begin the plunge into this amazing hobby if there were more options. I don’t think this market is properly being capitalized on. There are a few pipes in this category that hit the mark currently but I’d like to see more. For many new to a hobby spending a lot of money isn’t an option. Oftentimes when I go to help people upgrade their pipe it’s quite a tedious task to fit a pipe, bowl, tobacco, and accessories in the budget which seems to be around the $200 total area. How this would be achieved I’m not exactly sure but I’m sure someone can come up with it.

Cloud 9 Winnetka (Hookah Lounge Review)

I don’t think personally I have been to a more established and franchised lounge such as Cloud 9. Cloud 9 has two locations. One in North Hollywood and one in Winnetka. The major difference between both would be that the one in North Hollywood is more so of a hookah lounge style and the other is a resturant and lounge. Today I will be highlighting the lounge and resturant. Cloud 9 Winnetka or Element Lounge some people will call it is different than most. Cloud 9 Winnetka is located at 7560 Winnetka Ave, Winnetka, CA 91306. This lounge has comfy couches which is always a plus. This lounge is also the first exclusive lounge to serve Element Tobacco. Element is the first Russian tobacco to hit the states. Let’s get into the review of the lounge shall we?

Food

This place serves middle eastern food such as Lule Kebabs, Hummus, and more. Pretty good a little bit pricy but you got to remember this a resturant and lounge.

 

 

Hookah 

This lounge serves all if not most B2 hookahs. B2 is an American hookah manufactor. Hookahs cost anywhere from $25 and up. They serve a wide variety from Element, Serbetli, Chaos, Tangiers and Al Fakher.

 

Parking

Parking isn’t that bad but is limited to a few spots. First come first serve basically.

 

Overview

 

If you’re looking for a laid back lounge to come and vibe to good music and good food this is the best place

The Atmosphere (Hookah Lounge Review)

Have you ever walked into a lounge and thought this is one lounge I am definitely coming back to? This was personally me with Atmosphere. There are multiple factors when it comes to coming back to a hookah lounge for me. I will get into more detail about that in a few, but right now let’s give some background on the lounge. The Atmosphere is located at 4608 San Fernando Rd, Glendale, CA 91204. The Atmosphere or Atmo the locals call it, has already established itself as one if not the best lounges in Glendale and surrounding areas. Established in 2016 it became the spot for everyone in the area to go to. Let’s get into some small details you should know before coming here. Bring  your ID as you should to any lounge. Call ahead of time and ask if there is a wait time. You’re probably thinking a wait time? Yes this lounge has a wait time, it can be anywhere from five minutes to a hour depending on the time and day. Personally what I have seen from my experience this lounge gets busy on Thursday’s – Sundays. Okay enough small talk let’s actually get down to business.

Food

With a variety of food’s to choose from Atmosphere has a broad variety of Middle Eastern foods to chose from. Anything from your Chicken Kebob to Chipotle Burger for the burger enthusiast. They also have Crepes for the dessert lovers. They have complimentary water and do not have a one minimum drink limit per customer.

 

Alcohol

This place does not serve any form of alcohol.

 

Hookah

The Atmosphere offers wide variety of tobacco brands for enthusiasts and casual smokers. From your “starter” brands such as Starbuzz and Fumari to something for the enthusiast such as Tangiers and Triffecta. All hookahs are priced the same which is $25. The hookahs they use are Regal hookahs.

 

Parking

HA! This just might be the only downside to this lounge. This lounge is surrounded with residential homes so your best bet is street parking.

 

Overview

I have been coming to this lounge for about 4 years now and I would recommend this to anyone that is in the area visiting or just looking for a new place to try. Great food, good hookah just go at a time it’s not busy and you will be fine.

 

Q&A With Fumari

 

Well guys, I did something big. I have the honor of doing a Q&A with Fumari tobacco, a brand that most of us are familiar with. A short back story, Sam is marketing manager at Fumari.

CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?

Absolutely, my name is Sam Hanhan and I’m the head of marketing at Fumari. I’ve been in this role for 4 years, however, my history of working for the brand goes back much further.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH HOOKAH?

My first experience with hookah was during a trip to Jordan. That was 25 years ago, and I remember hookah being a prominent part of their hospitality customs. Hookahs were at gatherings, restaurants, cafes, and homes everywhere I went. I recall locals being excited that I was visiting from America and they were eagerly proud to share this part of their culture. That experience always stayed with me afterward. And while I dabbled with hookah after returning from my trip, of course I bought one while being out there, it wasn’t something I was able to sustain. Finding hookah tobacco in the suburbs of Connecticut in the 1990s didn’t work out too well for me. It wasn’t until I moved to San Diego, CA in the late ’90s and discovered the Fumari hookah lounge. That’s when I legitimately became involved with hookah

ARE THERE ANY MAJOR CHANGES WITHIN THE COMPANY IN THE LAST 5 YEARS?

The biggest change was our growth. Over the course of this period we’ve doubled our size and moved into a much larger facility where our R&D, Sales, and Production teams are under one roof for the first time. Also, in the last five years, our business had to evolve significantly in order to navigate new FDA laws and to respond to the constant threat of flavored tobacco bans on Local, State, and Federal levels. As a result, we’ve essentially had to re-learn how to do business in our industry, create new jobs, and make new alliances.

HOW DID FUMARI COME TO BE AS THE COMPANY NAME?

As a smoking lounge, the word “fumar” (meaning “to smoke” in Spanish) was very fitting. There is a large Spanish influence in our San Diego community. For the “i” that’s appended to the end of “fumar”, well, it sounded good and just stuck. There you have it: Fumari.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT WITH THE BRAND?

My greatest achievement with the brand was helping to grow its image to where it stands today. Starting out as a small hookah lounge in downtown San Diego, and working together with great business owners to make it one of the world’s most recognized names in hookah tobacco. It’s a story I love to share.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIPE TO SMOKE OUT OF?

My Regal Queen. It’s a pipe that’s timeless in my opinion.

WHAT MAKES FUMARI UNIQUE COMPARED TO OTHER BRANDS?

I see it as a mix of brand attributes that, when working together, make us unique. It begins with how Fumari was first a lounge. That was significant because we had the benefit of knowing what local customers wanted. We developed flavors using their feedback and this led us to become the first line of hookah tobacco formulated for American taste preferences. Even without having the lounge today, we continue to heavily rely on customer feedback throughout our product development process.

Another factor contributing to our uniqueness is how we kept our line of tobacco straight and simple. For example, we strive for each flavor to be true-to-taste. The name on the pouch is easy to identify with what’s inside. And what’s inside, smells and tastes like what you would expect. What you see is what you get.

Our tobacco is also smooth-to-smoke and easy-to-use which makes it appeal to a larger audience. Smokers love the big, smooth clouds they can reliably get from a bowl of Fumari tobacco.

And finally, we are an American brand with a tobacco product that is made-from-scratch in the U.S.A. It’s an indication of our quality.

OUT OF THE NEW FLAVORS RELEASED, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST POPULAR ONE PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING AS OF NOW?

Although our recent release of Lemon Loaf received great feedback, the winner for most-widely enjoyed is Aloha Mango. It has a flavor profile that takes people by surprise on the first puff and you instantly know it’s something you like.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR TO SMOKE?

If smoking a straight flavor, my current go-to is Lemon Mint. If choosing a favorite to use in mixes, it’s between our Mint or Guava. Those two mix well with so many flavors, including with each other.

ANY NEW FLAVORS IN THE FUTURE?

We hope to have at least two or three more flavors added to our line this year pending FDA authorization.

WE ALSO SAW YOU GUYS RELEASED A TEASER OF A FUMARI DARK LINE AT THE EXPO, ANY RELEASE TIME ON THAT?

It will be available in select international markets by late 2020. As for the availability in the USA, we are in the process of working with the FDA to make that happen and will hopefully have more information soon.

WHAT IS FUMARI’S PLAN WITH THE CALIFORNIA FLAVOR BAN?

The plan for the CA ban is to keep fighting. I think we made a huge impression on May 13th with all the calls in opposition. I hear Senator Hill has now been in recent talks with the Hookah Chamber.

LAST QUESTION, BESIDES DEVOTING YOUR TIME TO FUMARI WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO ON YOUR FREE TIME? 

I love the mountain lifestyle and most of the activities that come with it. One day, I hope to own a cabin in Tahoe. But at the moment, I’ve got two, beautiful young kids and much of my time away from work is devoted to them. We generally stay very active throughout my free time. Whether it’s teaching one to ride a bike, a tennis match with the other, or taking the family to the San Diego Zoo for the day, we’re always doing something. But at the very end of the day when the kids are asleep, my wife and I like to relax with a hookah.​

 

Q&A With Zummerat Tobacco

Today we got a Q&A with SOO of Zummerat Tobacco Steve.

Can you tell the viewers about yourself?

My name is Steve. I am the COO of Zumerret hookah.

How did you first get involved with hookah?

The group I work for became interested in creating a hookah tobacco brand, and I was delighted to be
chosen to head the operations in the US, where the production happens from A to Z.

When was the first time you smoked hookah?

When I was younger in a small café in Istanbul with a couple of friends. I quickly realized how it could
bring a group of people together in such a pleasant and classy way.

Do you remember the first hookah you ever bought?

Yes. It was an Egyptian Hookah, about 10 years ago. I picked it up at a local store.

Do you remember the first flavor you smoked?

It was a house mix of apples. It quickly made me realize no shisha is equal to another.

Why the name Zumerret?

In many ancient languages, Zumerret means “precious stone”, what we try to do is to create a premium and luxury brand that everyone can afford to buy.

Can you explain the different lines you currently have out?

We have different editions for every hookah lover:

Zumerret Blue Edition is our take on the most popular and single noted flavors.

Zumerret Gold Edition features unique flavor blends crafted by our in-house flavor masters. 24 Karat is our signature secret blend in this edition.

Zumerret Black & Special Black Editions made from the highest quality premium dark tobacco leaves mixed with our own signature flavor mixes. Black edition is the perfect choice for regular smokers seeking a sublime buzz from higher nicotine levels. Special edition has the highest nicotine level compared to the black edition.

Zumerret Frosty Edition is our latest launch which brings ultimate refreshment to the premium hookah smoking experience. This edition is the preferred choice for smokers seeking a refreshing and cooling flavor blend experience.

What is your greatest achievement with the brand?

We launched the brand in June of 2018, in only one year we had reached 30 countries.

How would you compare Zumerret to what it was now and before? Any similarities or changes?

We are still building the brand and are constantly creating new editions. We currently have 5 editions
and 3 more will be coming out by next year. Our goal is to lead the way in innovation and continue to grow and pave the way.

What is your personal favorite hookah to smoke out of?

“Regal”, It is very beautiful, smooth and very well built. Cherry on the cake, the flavors I smoke are
always accurate when I smoke out of it. A very good fit to Zumerret shisha.

Where do you see the company in next 10 years?

*We are planning to be in 50 countries and doing our best to satisfy hookah lovers around the world.
Again, innovation is our way to conquer the market.

What makes Zumerret unique compared to other hookah tobacco in the market?

One of our mottos is An ancient custom reimagined for modern enjoyment!
From cultivation to production, in every step of making Zumerret shisha, we use premium materials.
Long lasting and heat resilient flavors, smoke thickness and consistency are keywords to our quality
control.

Besides smoking hookah and devoting your time to Zumerret what do you like to do on your free time?

I enjoy watching movies and reading a good book. I currently working on my Masters in Business Administration. I used to play basketball and volleyball but nowadays I try to keep my body in shape by
walking and exercising.

 

Q&A With Malaki Tobacco

Today we are doing a Q&A with Mark Hanna from Malaki Tobacco.

Can you tell the viewers about yourself?

My name is Mark Hanna, i’ve been smoking hookah for about 10 years now. I enjoy hookah because it really brings people together it’s an enjoyable pastime and it also carries cultural significance for me as well since I am middle eastern.

How did you get into hookah?

I got into hookah back in 2007 my older brother owned 2 hookah lounges when hookah 1st started becoming popular in the US. I would go and help my brother out at the lounge all the time, and it just stuck with me from that point on never left and it’s now something I like to do on a daily basis.

What is your favorite flavor?

Malaki of course I really enjoy Amazon and Cool Breeze and Watermelon with a hint of Mint

What is your favorite hookah?

I’m have currently been using my MIG on a daily basis and I love it!! MIG is just so well made and easy to clean!

Where is Malaki made?

Malaki is made in the UAE, the United Arab Emirates.

Where does the name Malaki come from?

The word Malak in Arabic means King so Malaki is along that same line of Royalty, King, King of all the Tobacco Flavors out there!

Any chance of Malaki coming out with a darkline?

Yes it is a possibility, it’s all what the market demands or wants, if there is a great push for a Darkline Malaki has the capacity, capability, and expertise to execute it properly.

How long has Malaki been around?

Malaki is very big in Russia it’s been there for a while but was just introduced to the US market less than a year ago.

What is your greatest achievement with Malaki?

We were able to get Malaki out to distributors all over the US in a very short time, major online retailers have on their websites, 5StarHookah, hookahpopshop, the hookah all have it in stock and are able to ship nation wide.

Any new flavors you guys will be releasing soon?

There are plenty more flavors available that Malaki already makes we just haven’t brought all of them to the US just yet.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Thank you so much for the opportunity to do this interview with you, I look forward to getting life back to normal after all of this COVID stuff is over and to come back and meet with you again and even have a follow up interview! Thanks again!