Kamel said he did not want his business to be grouped with those that do not care for COVID-19 guidelines, like The Grille at Flower Hill, which was also referenced in the press release. Hookah bars are not explicitly addressed in the county’s Phase 2 Executive Order, and Kamel said he has been following the guidance for restaurants and bars, like limiting capacity to 50 percent. Vibes owner Ahmed Kamel told MyMCMedia that the lounge is open for retail and to-go service. Vibes Hookah Lounge was not closed, but was issued a $500 fine for smoking.
UPDATE: A MoCo DHHS Spokesperson told MyMCMedia that their press release is incorrect. “I have had multiple calls from customers of 4-5 years who could not believe that we were ‘shut down.’ Thankfully they were able to confirm the correct information from me, but many others are probably thinking we were shut down by the county.” “I honestly felt betrayed by the county that I grew up in and love,” he told MyMCMedia. Kamel said he felt the county did him an injustice.
He added that he has not received a fine. Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Spokesperson Mary Anderson later said that the information was incorrect, and that the lounge was not shut down but mailed a $500 fine for smoking.Īhmed Kamel, owner of Vibes, said his business has been open for to-go orders and retail, which means the sale of hookah products to be used outside of the lounge. The press release said that Vibes was closed because hookah bars are not included in Phase 2 of reopening in Montgomery County.
Photo courtesy of Vibes Hookah Lounge Owner Ahmed Kamel.Ī Montgomery County press release incorrectly stated on Monday that Vibes Hookah Lounge in Rockville was shut down over the July 4 weekend for violating COVID-19 regulations.
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