Hookah Lounge Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Information

• Location: Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge, 980 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
• Schedule: [Full-time/Part-time]; evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability required
• Reports to: Manager on Duty during shifts; General Manager (or ownership, until a General Manager is in place) for overall performance
• Classification: Hourly, non-exempt (overtime eligible)
• Base Pay: Starting at $18.47 per hour, plus tips, with more offered based on experience

About Haftt

Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge is a social dining and lounge destination offering Persian kabobs, pizzas, appetizers, salads, desserts, Persian tea, nonalcoholic beverages, and hookah. Haftt does not serve alcohol.

Our goal is to provide a comfortable, welcoming experience supported by attentive service, consistently prepared hookahs, safe handling practices, cleanliness, and genuine hospitality.

The Role

As a Hookah Attendant, you will prepare, deliver, maintain, and collect hookahs while helping ensure every guest receives consistent quality and attentive service.

You will guide guests through Haftt's hookah menu, prepare flavor combinations according to established standards, manage charcoal safely, monitor hookah quality throughout each visit, and coordinate closely with servers, support staff, and management.

This is a hands-on position. Hookah Attendants are also expected to clean and sanitize equipment, restock supplies, maintain the hookah preparation area, assist with table resets, and support other service functions when needed.

Hookah Attendants own hookah preparation, quality, guest guidance, and troubleshooting. Bussers may assist with charcoal delivery and replacement, but only trained and authorized employees may prepare or modify hookahs.

What You'll Do

Guest guidance and orders

• Learn Haftt's complete hookah menu, including flavors, flavor profiles, recommended combinations, equipment options, and applicable charges.
• Explain hookah options clearly and help guests select flavors based on their preferences.
• Inform guests of applicable hookah policies, service procedures, charges, replacement rules, and time limits.
• Follow all age-verification, tobacco-service, entry, and identification-checking procedures.
• Confirm that each hookah order has been properly entered into the POS system before preparing or delivering it.
• Review orders carefully and prepare the correct flavor, combination, quantity, and equipment for each table.

Preparation and delivery

• Prepare hookah bowls using Haftt's established measurements, packing methods, presentation standards, and quality procedures.
• Set up hookah bases, stems, trays, hoses, mouthpieces, bowls, heat-management devices, and other components correctly.
• Light, transport, place, and replace charcoal using approved tools and safety procedures. Charcoal must never be transported together with food or with the same equipment used for food.
• Test each hookah for airflow, seal, heat level, cleanliness, and overall performance before delivery.
• Deliver hookahs to the correct tables safely and professionally.
• Position hookahs securely to reduce the risk of tipping, burns, spills, or interference with walkways.
• Explain proper and safe use to guests when necessary.

Quality monitoring and follow-up

• Check each table shortly after delivery to confirm that the hookah is functioning properly.
• Monitor tables throughout service and provide timely charcoal changes, heat adjustments, troubleshooting, and other support.
• Recognize common hookah problems, including harsh flavor, weak smoke, restricted airflow, excessive heat, air leaks, burnt bowls, or unstable equipment.
• Correct routine quality issues promptly and notify management when a replacement or exception may be required.
• Never provide unauthorized complimentary hookahs, flavor changes, replacements, discounts, or additional products.

Coordination and communication

• Coordinate with servers and the Manager on Duty so all hookah orders, adjustments, replacements, and charges are accurately recorded.
• Coordinate with Bussers assigned to charcoal support during peak periods.
• Communicate delays, unavailable flavors, inventory shortages, damaged equipment, and guest concerns promptly.

Cleaning, sanitation, and equipment care

• Remove hookahs carefully when service is complete and safely dispose of charcoal and tobacco waste.
• Disassemble, wash, sanitize, dry, inspect, and properly store reusable hookah components.
• Use a new or properly sanitized mouthpiece and hose setup according to company sanitation procedures.
• Keep clean equipment separate from used or contaminated equipment.
• Follow required handwashing and apron or glove-change procedures when changing assignments.

Stocking and inventory

• Maintain a clean, organized, properly stocked, and service-ready hookah preparation area.
• Restock tobacco products, charcoal, foil, mouthpieces, hoses, cleaning materials, and other supplies as assigned.
• Follow product rotation, labeling, storage, portion-control, and inventory procedures.
• Help count hookah products, equipment, and supplies when assigned.

Safety

• Immediately report broken glass, damaged hoses, unstable bases, defective burners, missing equipment, or other safety concerns.
• Keep charcoal burners and heat-management equipment clean and operating safely.
• Follow all fire-prevention, burn-prevention, ventilation, tobacco-control, sanitation, and workplace-safety procedures.
• Never leave lit charcoal unattended or place hot charcoal in an unapproved container or disposal area.
• Notify management immediately of unsafe guest behavior, suspected underage tobacco use, damaged property, injuries, fire hazards, or violations of house policy.

Team support

• Assist servers with clearing, cleaning, sanitizing, and resetting tables when needed.
• Help maintain guest areas, service stations, the entrance, furniture, floors, and restrooms as assigned.
• Complete all assigned opening, closing, cleaning, restocking, and side-work responsibilities.
• Participate in pre-shift meetings, product training, safety training, and performance coaching.
• Follow established recipes, preparation procedures, service standards, and instructions from the Manager on Duty and management consistently.

What You'll Bring

• Prior hookah preparation or hookah-lounge experience is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of hookah flavors, bowl-packing techniques, heat management, airflow, and charcoal service is highly desirable.
• Ability to consistently reproduce established flavor combinations and preparation standards.
• Strong understanding of safe charcoal handling and hookah equipment use.
• Ability to troubleshoot hookah quality issues efficiently.
• Strong attention to order accuracy, cleanliness, equipment condition, and guest requests.
• Warm, professional, and confident communication with guests.
• Ability to make appropriate recommendations without pressuring guests.
• Ability to manage several hookah tables and service requests simultaneously.
• Reliability, punctuality, and dependable evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability.
• Ability to remain calm and attentive in a busy, social, late-night environment.
• Willingness to clean equipment, restock supplies, reset tables, and support the broader team.
• Ability to follow instructions, accept feedback, and consistently apply corrected procedures.
• Respectful communication with servers, kitchen employees, bussers, baristas, and management.
• Comfort working around hookah smoke, tobacco products, hot charcoal, food, and hot beverages.

How Success Is Measured

Performance in this role is evaluated on preparation time, hookah quality and consistency, order accuracy, guest follow-up, safety compliance, and problem resolution.

Practical Skills Evaluation

Selected candidates may be asked to complete a paid working interview or practical skills assessment, as permitted by applicable law. The evaluation may include:

• Identifying common hookah equipment and components
• Preparing a hookah according to provided instructions
• Measuring and packing a bowl consistently
• Lighting and handling charcoal safely
• Checking airflow, seals, heat, and hookah performance
• Diagnosing and correcting common quality problems
• Cleaning and sanitizing equipment properly
• Organizing the hookah station and supplies
• Communicating with guests and servers during service

Prior job titles alone will not replace the need to demonstrate the practical skills required for the position.

Certifications and Requirements

• Must meet all legal and company age requirements applicable to handling and serving tobacco products and working on the premises.
• Must follow all identification-checking and age-verification requirements.
• Completion of Haftt's hookah preparation, tobacco-service, charcoal-safety, sanitation, and emergency-procedure training.
• California Food Handler Card required within 30 days of hire.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to bend, reach, twist, and perform repetitive preparation and cleaning tasks.
• Ability to safely lift and carry approximately 25-30 pounds.
• Ability to work safely around open flames, burners, hot charcoal, hot surfaces, glass equipment, cleaning products, and tobacco.
• Ability to work in an environment where hookah smoking occurs.
• Evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability as required.

Schedule and Work Environment

This position regularly includes evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday shifts. Preparation, cleaning, restocking, and closing responsibilities may continue before or after published guest-service hours.

The workplace may be busy, social, noisy, smoky, and fast-paced. Hookah Attendants regularly work around tobacco products, hot charcoal, burners, glass equipment, food, tea, and cleaning products.

Because Haftt operates with a relatively small team, employees may also be asked to assist with bussing, table resets, cleaning, restocking, receiving deliveries, or other reasonable operational duties.

Haftt provides training on its hookah products, preparation standards, sanitation procedures, charcoal safety, service sequence, and guest-service expectations. Employees are expected to retain and consistently apply that training. Strong performers may be considered for additional responsibilities as the team grows.

Pay and Benefits

• Base pay: Starting at $18.47 per hour, plus tips, with more offered based on experience
• Tips distributed according to Haftt's applicable tip-distribution policy
• Complimentary staff meal during eligible shifts
• Employee dining discount
• Paid sick leave and other benefits as required by applicable law
• Product training and opportunities for additional responsibilities as the team grows

Tips are not guaranteed. Actual tips vary based on hours, shift assignments, sales, guest volume, seasonality, and the applicable tip-distribution arrangement.

How to Apply

Please apply directly through the job platform where you found this posting.

Questions about the role, or a request for a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, may be sent to careers@hafttcafe.com.

Equal Opportunity and Fair Chance Employment

Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, demonstrated skills, experience, performance, availability, and legitimate business needs. Haftt does not discriminate based on any characteristic protected by applicable law.

Haftt will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with applicable California and local fair-chance requirements.