Hookah Masters and COVID-19 crisis: How has is it affected them? Spain.

COVID-19 crisis has affected all the economic sectors but, if we focus on the hookah industry, shisha lounges and hookah masters are the main victims of this worldwide pandemic. The closure of this kind of business has led many workers into a critical economic situation. We have decided to interview six hookah masters to know his point of view.

We express gratitude to Alejandro from Hookah Magazine Spain who is actively participating in the preparation of the article.

Manolo Copado, Hookah Master in Jaen since 2016

What is your name and in which hookah lounge you work and for how long time?

A. Manolo Copado. Kharma Jaén, from january 2016 to march 2020

Do your hookah lounge work now?

A. It´s opened but it’s no working. It stopped its activity with the beginning of this crisis.

Do your hookah lounge work now?

It´s opened but it’s no working. It stopped its activity with the beginning of this crisis.

How much hookahs usually you prepared per day for customers?

20 hookahs per day, but it depends.

What is your average salary per day?

It depends of the amount of hookahs that we prepare and sell. My salary is based in commission.

If your lounge closed do you have any salary or support from your lounge employer?

I have economic support called ERTE. It’s a solution when your company is forced to close. This salary depends of Spanish government.

What are you do now in quarantine?

I watch tv series, films, play video games, all of this while I smoke a shisha, for sure.

How your life changes? Do you have any other work?

Yes, I´m a waiter in a gamming house.

What is your 3 favorite hookah tobacco brands?

Haze, Al Fakher and Al Waha.

What is your 3 favorite hookah model brands?

Regal, Mani Sultan and Khalil Mamoom.

Can you be interested in some hookah manufacturers that will offer you a remote job via first in the world international hookah job service Hookah Head Hunt? What do you think about this service?

For sure! It’s a good opportunity for all hookah lover who wants to become a professional worker with his passion. Also, it’s an innovating idea for looking for a job because it’s focused in hookah sector.

 

Sergi García, Hookah Master in Tarragona

Sergi García

What is your name and in which hookah lounge you work and for how long time?

Sergi García. I use to work in a big shisha lounge with restaurant in Tarragona. I started to work in november 2019 and I have to left my job in march when the pandemy started.

Do your hookah lounge work now?

It opened not long time ago but currently I’m not working because there aren’t costumers.

When did it stop?

It stopped its activity with the beginning of the pandemy

How much hookahs usually you prepared per day for customers?

From Monday to Thursday between 5 to 15 hookahs per day. In the weekend I used to prepare between 5 to 25 per day.

What is your average salary per day/month?

Between 500 to 1.000 euros per month

If your lounge closed do you have any salary or support from your lounge employer?

No, the company don’t give us an economic support.

What are you do now in quarantine?

Nowadays I stay at home I can’t go out with friends like I used to do.

How your life changes? Do you have any other work?

No I haven’t

What is your 3 favorite hookah tobacco brands?

Adaly, Hookain and Al-fakher, in this order.

What is your 3 favorite hookah model brands?

Wookah, Steamulation and Conceptic.

Can you be interested if some hookah manufacturers will offer you a remote job via first in the world international hookah job service Hookah Head Hunt? What do you think about this service?

Yes. I’m so interested because I really like to work in any position of the hookah industry. I don’t know Hookah Head Hunt but I’m going to know more about it. Also I know Hookah Battle but I want to learn much more about them.

 

Jaime García, Hookah Master in Murcia

Jaime García

What is your name and in which hookah lounge you work and for how long time?

Jaime García. I have been working in the shisha sector for 3 years, and in catering I have been in more than 7 different places. The catering was initially from the store where I work (Fumusvape Hookah Shop) and later, we gave the catering to another called Gold Shisha; Later we took it up again with the name of the store and we stopped working on premises last February 2020.

Do your hookah lounge work now?

The lounge that we have kept the longest has been the place called KavaCopas.. We closed the month of February due to COVID-19, and we have little hope of resuming it until at least 2021.

How much hookahs usually you prepared per day for customers?

The number of shisha was highly dependent on the occasion; if there were parties or concerts, the number increased considerably. On an average weekend, he made an average of 20 shisha a night.

What is your average salary per day?

The salary, considering that I was part of the lounge and worker of the store itself, was not very high. Around 50 euros per weekend.

If your lounge closed do you have any salary or support from your lounge employer?

As the lounge belongs to its own store, let’s say it was the same. As compensation we can try hookahs that we liked. We used them for a while and then took them to the lounge so that customers could try it (Embery, Sins, Conceptic, Geometry, Amazon, etc …)

What are you do now in quarantine?

During the quarantine, my days have been focused on studying and smoking shisha … so much so that I will have spent about 10 kilos of King Coco in 2 months. The quarantine has helped me discover how you can make incredible mixtures with very different tobaccos and different brands and markets.

How your life changes? Do you have any other work?

I still work in the shop (Fumus Vape)

What is your 3 favorite hookah tobacco brands?

Starbuzz, Tangiers and Al-Waha

What is your 3 favorite hookah model brands?

Regal Cavalier, Megahed Laser and Starbuzz Atlantis Ice.

Can you be interested if some hookah manufacturers will offer you a remote job via first in the world international hookah job service Hookah Head Hunt? What do you think about this service?

Of course yes! In addition, my vocation and which I have dedicated my professional studies for 5 years ago, is photography and video; so it would be very interesting for me to mix the knowledge I have of both sectors so that a brand can be satisfied with my work.

Christian Rubiales, Hookah Master in Cádiz

Christian Rubiales

What is your name and in which hookah lounge you work and for how long time?

Christian Rubiales. I have been working at Luxor Hookah Catering since February 2019, a company that provides hookah service to different lounges and clubs in Cádiz.

Do your hookah lounge work now ? If not, when it stopped?

All the lounges that we provided hookah service are closed since 14th March. Currently we aren’t providing hookah services.

How much hookahs usually you prepared per day for customers?

Between 30-35 per day.

What is your average salary per day?

50 euros per day

If your lounge closed do you have any salary or support from your lounge employer?

No

What are you do now in quarantine? How your life changes?

Now I am focused on my work, my studies and I investigate within the world of the hookah. The main difference is all those nights that I spent working in the lounge and that I now spend at home.

Do you have any other work?

Yes

What is your 3 favorite hookah tobacco brands?

Social smoke, haze y hookain

What is your 3 favorite hookah model brands?

Alpha, Ocean and Khalil Mamoon

Can you be interested if some hookah manufacturers will offer you a remote job via first in the world international hookah job service Hookah Head Hunt? What do you think about this service?

Yes, it is a very interesting initiative to professionalize the sector

 

Diego Villarreal, Hookah Master in Madrid

Diego Villarreal

What is your name and in which hookah lounge you work and for how long time?

Diego Villarreal. I was working in a lounge for a year “Mafileganes”, then in a disco called “La Roca” in Móstoles, then in a lounge called “Goldenshisha” in Humanes, then in a disco named “Parabarap” in Madrid and finally in ” Thehookahshome “where I started in December until we had to stop because of the COVID19 issue.

Do your hookah lounge work now? If not, when it stopped?

No, once the alarm status in Spain was announced, my lounge closed just on March 13 if I remember correctly.

How much hookahs usually you prepared per day for customers?

On weekends we could talk about 28/35 hookahs per day, during the week about 10/15 depending on the day.

What is your average salary per day?

No comments.

If your lounge closed do you have any salary or support from your lounge employer?

No

What are you do now in quarantine? How your life changes? Do you have any other work?

In this quarantine I have been studying and practicing, my life is not that much has changed. Now as soon as the summer season starts I will start working as a lifeguard.

What is your 3 favorite hookah tobacco brands?

International brands: Tangiers, Trifecta and I’m not sure between Ugly or Haze

National Market (Spain): Al-Fakher, Starbuzz Vintage, Serpent

What is your 3 favorite hookah model brands?

Khyber, Marajah and Executive.

Can you be interested if some hookah manufacturers will offer you a remote job via first in the world international hookah job service Hookah Head Hunt? What do you think about this service?

Yes, of course, more experience always comes in handy. I find these types of platforms interesting in order to inform and interact with brands.