Hookah cafe proves popular on opening night

BY EREN TATARAGASI | September 12, 2005

It was an Arabian Night on Friday on Franklin Street as people wandered into a new restaurant that took them on a magic carpet ride to the Middle East.

Aladdin’s Grill & Catering, at 153 E. Franklin St., reopened its doors Friday night as a restaurant and hookah bar.

“We’ve expanded it and gotten it a lot nicer,” said owner Jamil Kadoura.

Although the hookah bar is a new idea to Chapel Hill residents, for California natives, it’s just the thing to do.

“We’re here for the hookah,” said grad student Erin Daly. “It’s a big thing in California.”

With its reopening, Kadoura said Aladdin’s is trying to appeal to a different audience.

“We’ve always done well during the day,” Kadoura said. “So now we’re targeting the dinner crowd.

“It seems in Chapel Hill you always have to have a bar to do well.”

Kadoura said the restaurant filled up for dinner around 7:30 p.m. Friday. There was a constant rotation of customers and food until 10 p.m., when the restaurant began its transformation into a hookah bar.

The restaurant is set up with benches along both walls with additional tables and chairs. There are also two special window tables.

In the middle of the restaurant are three small tables that are removed by 10 p.m. to make room for the belly dancer and the crowd that follows.

At around 11:30 p.m., Sasha, Russian belly dancer extraordinaire, made her entrance, starting from the back of the restaurant and making her way to the front.

As soon as the music started and her body started shaking to the rhythm, the crowd grew tenfold.

Hookahs filled with delicious-smelling tobacco were brought to tables upon customers’ orders.

The aroma, music and belly dancer created an atmosphere previously unseen in Chapel Hill.

“I think it’s really neat,” said returning customer and dental student Crystal Cox. “It’s a big difference.”

Starting today, the restaurant will go back to serving lunch, in addition to its new dinner spectacle. There will be a buffet set up around the bar and the restaurant will also offer a pita express option.

The pita express will allow customers to fill a pita with whatever ingredients they want for one flat fee.

Kadoura said they have changed the food for dinner by offering heavier dishes.

With opening night complete, manager Mosa Firat said that it was a nice evening but that there still is room for improvement.

But customers were satisfied with Friday’s experience.

“I think it will do really well,” said grad student Erin Hunsicker.