SAYREVILLE — A new hookah bar is coming to town.
The borough Zoning Board of Adjustment recently granted a use variance for the café and hookah lounge to locate at 500 Ernston Road. The lot, at the corner of Westminster Boulevard and just feet from the Old Bridge border, is within the borough’s B-3 highway business zone. The zoning law does not specifically permit hookah bars.
With the use variance, the owner, Michael Garaibeh of Ernston Road II Associates, has approval to change the 21,000- square-foot building from its current state as the Cabana’s restaurant to a café with hookah lounge.
No exterior site improvements will be needed, according to the application approved by the zoning board. The lounge will use the existing building and parking.
The lounge will have a maximum occupancy of 102 persons between the main floor and a basement lounge.
A hookah is a water pipe, Indian in origin, and is used to smoke flavored tobacco. Water or another liquid is placed in the bottom of the pipe and the smoke is filtered through the liquid when a person inhales. Hookah lounges are growing in popularity around the country, offering not only a unique hookah experience, but also Middle Eastern food in many instances.
Before approval for the use variance, area neighbors including Glenkat Realty Co. and residents of Skytop Gardens were notified, but none complained about the issuing of the variance, officials said. Additionally, there was no need for further variances to amend the parking or outdoor seating situations that may have originally been contestable.
“Their planner confirmed that everything was in order,” Borough Engineer Jay Cornell said.
Garaibeh informed the borough that he hopes to begin renovations in the building as soon as possible.