Hookah Lounge Still Trying to Get a Liquor License

COBB COUNTY, GA — Kasbah Bar & Bistro is appealing the county commission's denial of a liquor license, and the commission is once again set to consider the matter on Sept. 13.

The establishment has already been denied a liquor license twice, most recently in July.

Cobb County commissioners did approve a rezoning for the business in July, but denied the business' request to operate as a Hookah bar.

Hookah sharing and smoking is not permitted within 100 feet from the closest subdivision.

Several hundred nearby residents were opposed to the proposal, and an online petition was launched.

People opposed to the business say hookah lounges are hotbeds of crime, increase the likelihood of drunk driving, and overall are family unfriendly establishments.

Kasbah is seeking to open in the old Donny's/Pizza Hut spot at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and Highway 92.

See also: Residents Opposed to Northeast Cobb Hookah Lounge Launch Petition

Neighbors from six nearby subdivisions have been objecting to the business since the rezoning change was requested. Kasbah’s original filings described it as a hookah bar with 52 flavors, to be open from 11 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. on weekends and to midnight on weekdays. Business details, filed with the county, included a bar, a dance floor, a DJ, a hookah smoking room and outside seating.

Nearby residents are concerned about excessive noise and nighttime activity, their property values and traffic.

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