Milly Smoke offers wide selection for hookah enthusiasts

Published 11:18 am Monday, August 23, 2021

Why did Milly Smoke Hookah Lounge open its doors in February 2021? Cierra Hightower said the business opened partly because she and Jamichael Williams, the owners, saw there was a need for it. 

“We were just looking for something that Milledgeville needed,” she explained, noting that prior to Milly Smoke’s opening, the closest hookah lounge was about 30 to 45 minutes away. Additionally, they had just moved back to Milledgeville from another state, so the need for a source of income also played a role in the creation of the business, but she and Jamichael wanted it to be something that was fitting for the community as well. 

“Some days are better than others, and since we are new, we’re still getting our name out there. A lot of people still don’t know we’re here or where we’re located, things like that,” Hightower said. “I think as time goes along, it will kind of get better just by more people knowing about us.” 

Getting the business’s name out there and growing it is a primary goal for the remainder of the year, Hightower said.

The name of the business is fairly self-explanatory.

“The ‘Milly’ part, just being here in Milledgeville, we both attended Georgia College & State University, and a lot of people there call Milledgeville ‘Milly’ for short,” Hightower explained. “So we just felt that was fitting for the area and for our affiliation with the school here, and figured it would have a nice ring to it.”

A hookah is a tobacco pipe with a long, flexible tube that draws the smoke through water contained in a bowl. Typically, flavored tobacco products are smoked through the pipe. The lounge offers a variety of items on its menu, including both tobacco and tobacco-free options, which costumers can give a quick scan when they come in.

“They can pretty much build their own hookah based on if they want to add ice to it or lights to it, maybe they want a margarita bowl or a lava base,” Hightower said. 

Additionally, costumers are allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages into Milly Smoke. Customers must be 21 or older to enter the establishment and IDs are checked at the door. 

On Wednesdays through Saturdays Milly Smoke also features a food truck, just in case customers want to grab a bite to eat. Themed events, like karaoke night on Thursdays, are also held from time to time. 

Reservations are not required at Milly Smoke, but they are recommended in order to guarantee seating. However, if costumers want to host an event at the lounge, such as a birthday party,  reservations are required.

Thus far, one of Hightower’s favorite things about running Milly Smoke is the independence and personal freedom being a business owner provides. 

“Definitely I would say being on my own schedule, not having to per se work somewhere else or for someone else. Being able to do it for ourselves,” she said, adding that she also loves meeting new people and helping them. “Seeing new faces, seeing repeat faces, that means a lot too. Hearing people say they told a friend or told a family member about us, they referred us to come up here and things like that,” Cierra says. 

She and co-owner Williams do what they do because they enjoy helping people in the community. 

“We enjoy doing business and serving customers. Prior to opening our shop, it’s what we’ve always done in the community,” Hightower explained. “I think that enjoyment is also our primary source of motivation. This business gives us the opportunity to interact with and serve the community with a centralized location here in Milledgeville and the potential of growth into neighboring communities.”