Today we’d like to introduce you to Haseeb Imran.
Hi Haseeb, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a kid, I always enjoyed smoking hookah. Even before I was old enough to go to lounges, I used to smoke at home because my father had lived in Dubai and he was the first person to introduce it to us. Once we got older, the guys would meet up daily at a local lounge for years. It wasn’t until I got married and went on my honeymoon, that I learned about the other spectrum when it came to smoking hookah. I learned about the science behind it and ended up in a deep rabbit hole searching for information and tips to make my sessions be the best they could be. The drawback was, that no lounge was able to satisfy me anymore so smoking at home became the regular for us.
We realized that there was a void in the local market for top-tier hookah and good food, drinks, and vibes. My partner Masud and I decided that we would look to fill that void by opening up our own lounge. We always believed that a Hookah lounge should not be based on the alcohol that was served but the quality of the hookah itself. We quickly realized that we might be the only lounge in Orlando that chose to not serve alcohol so we wanted to make sure we brought more to the table than just hookah. We made sure the food was awesome as well, but also the drinks are homemade style. We have traditional dooth patti chai and also the only place to serve Kasmiri Chai (pink tea) in Florida.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t. We had a very tough time securing a lease because landlords are predisposed to not like hookah lounges as tenants because of the afterparty lifestyle that has become normal since Covid started. So, we searched the city up and down until we got lucky with the location that we ended up with currently.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mash Cafe and Lounge. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are the first craft-based upscale hookah lounge in Orlando. We specialize in different brands when it comes to Hookah pipes, bowls, tobacco, and heat management devices. We want our guests to enjoy the best hookah possible every time they visit us. We’re proud that after 6 months, we are seeing a lot of repeat business but also that guests are appreciating a lot of the hard work, sweat, and tears we put into build MASH. We want everyone to know that we are here to provide top-notch service and quality 7 days a week. We also are planning on starting a catering service so that guests can have MASH cater at their parties or even at home when they want to host guests.
What do you think about luck?
I think being a business owner in other industries, primarily the car business since 2007 has helped me navigate the small business world now. Also, the fact that we are foodies and world travelers, it has allowed us to visit the best restaurants and lounges in the world and use that as inspiration daily.
Pricing:
- Hookah Pricing- $30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mashorlando.com
- Instagram: @mashorlando
- Facebook: MASH
- Yelp: MASH
