By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
For those in Prattville looking for a new, fun place to hang out, enjoy time together, chill and take a break from the day’s worries, a new place is opening up in about a month where all those things will be available. Oh, and you’ll also get a chance to smoke a hookah.
The Cloud 9 Hookah Lounge, which is owned by Clarence Thomas and is located in the same center as Bama Lanes and Badcock Furniture, will be debuting in late April.
During the Prattville City Council meeting on March 15, a Lounge Retail Liquor-Class 1 License was approved for Cloud 9, and within a short period of time, it should be completely up and running.
The way Cloud 9 came into existence points to the importance of networking as Thomas described.
“My daughter had a phone and it broke,” said Thomas, adding that he found a cell phone repair store online. “I saw it and looked him up on Facebook and went to the shop.”
Justin Ellis has owned Back in the Game cell phone repair on 809 South Memorial Drive in Prattville for two years and he showed Thomas around his store while they discussed his daughter’s broken phone.
Thomas told Ellis he had a nice set up and as the two talked, Ellis mentioned that he was talking about opening up a hookah bar.
“I said I’m thinking about doing the same thing,” Thomas commented. “And he said, man let’s do it. That same day.”
Justin became a business adviser for Cloud 9 and he walked Thomas through the process as they looked at different buildings in town to locate the right place.
“He said there’s one more spot and he showed me over here, where we are now,” Thomas said. “We already have a liquor license zoned for this area, it’s an open area, if you want to go bowling. It’s like the entertainment center for Prattville. Bowling, Blue Iguana, tattoos, vape, CBD and now you got a Hookah.”
Thomas, who is a writer, filmmaker and previously an elementary school teacher in Montgomery, has owned another business, which his son now runs, called Covid Cleaners.
For those who may have little idea of what a hookah is, Thomas described it and its history.
“Its origins come from Egypt and hookah is basically flavored tobacco smoked out of a devise that they used back in India and Egypt,” he said. “It’s water and a charcoal on top. We do offer non-nicotine and non-tobacco hookah.”
Cloud 9 will offer various flavors including Splash X, Mango Moon, Rain Berry, Lucky Peach and Cool Mint. They will also offer add-ons such as CBD and a candy tip.
“A lot of people don’t know about hookahs but if you go to any major city, definitely Atlanta, you cannot go to a restaurant that doesn’t have a hookah selection,” Thomas said.
Cloud 9, which will be the first hookah lounge in Prattville, provides a variety of hookahs, but sanitation and customer safety will be a major priority for the owner.
“We have disposable hoses,” he said. “They do make them for private use, you have your own and you clean it out, but we use the disposable ones. It’s a new hose and the package, the tip, they’re all pre-sealed. We clean the base and the water. It’s all new when someone uses it.”
The lounge will also offer adult beverages such as beer and liquor and six or seven signature drinks on the menu.
Thomas compares his place to a cigar lounge, which is designed to create a relaxing vibe, with comfortable couches. But one difference is that Cloud 9 has glow in the dark paint on the floors, and varied colored clouds to view.
“We want to create a very visual– it’s very visual– we want the clouds to take you away,” he said, pointing to the clouds on the ceiling of the room. “We want to bring something here that hasn’t been here before. Some people just want to have a drink and watch television and smoke a hookah. We want a reason to call this ‘Pratt Vegas’. Have a good time and just vibe.”
Cloud 9 Hookah Lounge, located at 1732 E. Main Street, is preparing for a soft opening soon. For more information, visit its Facebook page or on Instagram.
