Emir Kobak and his wife, Nil, have launched Mona Lounge & Cigar Bar. (Photos by Lena Price)
Short Pump is getting a taste of the Mediterranean.
Emir Kobak and wife Nil launched Mona Lounge & Cigar Bar, a smoking lounge, Mediterranean restaurant and music venue in West Broad Village.
The lounge stocks about 85 brands of cigars.
“We wanted to create a sophisticated space where people can conduct business or relax,” Kobak said. “Our goal is to cater to everyone, not just smokers.”
The lounge stocks about 85 brands of cigars, ranging in price from $5 to $30. Kobak said he sources the cigars from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras and stores them in 60-square-foot walk-in humidor.
Kobak invested about $250,000 in the startup. About half of that went toward the ventilation system, which he said is one of the most sophisticated available. It constantly circulates outside air into the 2,800-square-foot space.
“Most people who come in are struck by how fresh the air smells,” Kobak said.
The ventilator allows Kobak to operate the smoking lounge in the same space as the restaurant despite a statewide smoking ban that took effect in 2009.
He said it took several months to work through the permitting process with the county.
“When I started asking around about what I needed to do to make this happen, many people told me it couldn’t be done,” Kobak said. “But this has been my vision for a long time.”
Kobak spent 12 years with the Hyatt Corporation. He said some of the high-end hotels he’s worked in had cigar lounges, which inspired him to branch off on his own.
Kobak said that by next year he plans to double the size of his humidor and add outdoor seating.
He said he picked the West Broad Village location because he wanted a new space in an up-and-coming area. Mona Lounge is the first tenant in the space at 2442 Old Brick Road.
Glen Allen-based Eagle Construction handled the renovation.
Emir Kobak and his wife, Nil, have launched Mona Lounge & Cigar Bar. (Photos by Lena Price)
Short Pump is getting a taste of the Mediterranean.
Emir Kobak and wife Nil launched Mona Lounge & Cigar Bar, a smoking lounge, Mediterranean restaurant and music venue in West Broad Village.
The lounge stocks about 85 brands of cigars.
“We wanted to create a sophisticated space where people can conduct business or relax,” Kobak said. “Our goal is to cater to everyone, not just smokers.”
The lounge stocks about 85 brands of cigars, ranging in price from $5 to $30. Kobak said he sources the cigars from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras and stores them in 60-square-foot walk-in humidor.
Kobak invested about $250,000 in the startup. About half of that went toward the ventilation system, which he said is one of the most sophisticated available. It constantly circulates outside air into the 2,800-square-foot space.
“Most people who come in are struck by how fresh the air smells,” Kobak said.
The ventilator allows Kobak to operate the smoking lounge in the same space as the restaurant despite a statewide smoking ban that took effect in 2009.
He said it took several months to work through the permitting process with the county.
“When I started asking around about what I needed to do to make this happen, many people told me it couldn’t be done,” Kobak said. “But this has been my vision for a long time.”
Kobak spent 12 years with the Hyatt Corporation. He said some of the high-end hotels he’s worked in had cigar lounges, which inspired him to branch off on his own.
Kobak said that by next year he plans to double the size of his humidor and add outdoor seating.
He said he picked the West Broad Village location because he wanted a new space in an up-and-coming area. Mona Lounge is the first tenant in the space at 2442 Old Brick Road.
Glen Allen-based Eagle Construction handled the renovation.
Mona is a great place to visit with friends and have great food!
Congratulations to Emir and Nil. The lounge is comfortable and beautiful. The perfect atmosphere to socialize with friends and relax. Even if you are not a cigar smoker, Mona Lounge offers a wide variety of adult beverages, food and coffee.