CINCINNATI — Cincinnati City Council on Wednesday unanimously passed an ordinance that will shorten the hours hookah bars are allowed to operate within city limits.
The ordinance mandates that hookah bars can only operate between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays, and between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
This comes weeks after the City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Board of Health filed a lawsuit against a Clifton hookah bar we've covered repeatedly due to complaints of illegal sales, late-night parties and possible violence.
In their lawsuit, the city and board of health say Bohemian Hookah Cafe repeatedly sold tobacco to someone under the age of 21 and repeatedly violated the Ohio Smoke Free Workplace Act by allowing smoking indoors without obtaining an exemption from the Ohio Department of Health.
While the city does not mention it in its lawsuit, we've also seen surveillance footage of people blocking traffic, partying and fighting in the middle of Ludlow Avenue this summer, reportedly stopping a Cincinnati Fire Department truck from exiting the station.
And they're not the only hookah bar the city has pursued legal action against. Since 2023, Cincinnati has filed lawsuits against eight other hookah lounges.
Council member Mark Jeffreys said during the vote that closing hookah bars earlier will hopefully address the safety and disruption issues neighbors have complained about, as most problems occurred during the early-morning hours.
"People are fed up," Jeffreys said. "They’re fed up with being woken up at night, they’re fed up with violent takeovers in the streets, they’re fed up with all the noise these places have."
Jeffreys said the ordinance is "striking a balance" between responding to neighbor complaints and ensuring businesses can continue operating.
"Our first responsibility is to make sure our residents are safe," Jeffreys said.
We've tried to get a hold of the owners of some of these hookah bars previously, but haven't heard back.
However, during Tuesday's Public Safety and Governance meeting, council members heard from Allison Watson, the co-owner of Vybes Hookah Bar & Lounge in Roselawn. Watson said she understands the concerns and frustrations, but said her business needs help from police.
“For us specifically, I know we have requested police presence in the area," Watson said. "What we get back is no police want to go to that area, so it kind of punishes us.”
Watson said they spend $8,000 on security each month.
We reached out to Watson on Wednesday to see if she'd talk to us about the vote. She wasn't available for an interview, but sent us the following:
"As a business owner in Roselawn, we want to make it clear that we are committed to working with the City of Cincinnati and with our neighborhood to keep our community safe. While we do offer hookah, our primary operation is as a bar and restaurant where people come to eat, gather, and enjoy themselves responsibly. We respect the concerns that have been raised, and we are willing to comply with any ordinances the city adopts. Our goal has always been to provide a safe, welcoming environment, and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with both the city and the Roselawn community."
