Hey everyone,

Today we’re with Timofei Shepilo, the brand chef of the “TIMELESS” Lounge-Bar chain. The main hookah industry website, waterpipe.pro, published an article about how hookah menus are created for premium places, and we want to share it here.

Last fall, we rebranded, so everything changed, from the logo design to the uniforms of the masters. The interiors of the establishments stayed unique but became more minimalist. You can see this especially at the recently opened TIMELESS at Novy Arbat. It’s got warm, subdued lighting, leather armchair

During the rebranding, we revamped the entire hookah menu. My team and I decided to completely change the concept of the products we were creating and develop new ones. At that time, we had a variety of branded and classic items on the menu, as well as a shelf of cigars from the WTO brand. We identified two key challenges:

1. Creating a collection of signature hookahs that share a common story.

2. Expanding the range of flavors and brands, including the cigar shelf.

A BIT OFF TOPIC:

At TIMELESS, we place significant emphasis on signature positions, a trend that we believe has been overlooked. Signature hookahs always stand out because of their unique look, the way the base is designed, and the unusual flavor combinations. The best part is that they bring so many positive emotions to the table.

We’ve developed two new concepts for our signature hookahs: Botanica and Creativia. The first one is inspired by plant motifs, with flowers, herbs, exotic fruits, and spices being used in its creation. Creativia combines bold ideas and non-standard technical solutions.

We appreciate the natural flavor of tobacco leaf and want to share it with our guests, so we’ve put together a cigar shelf with about 40 flavors from WTO, Bonche, and Satyr, including unflavored blends. Their bouquets are based on tobacco leaves from the Caribbean, Brazil, Italy, and America. By the way, the cigar shelf in TIMELESS at Novy Arbat is styled as a humidor—a special cabinet for storing cigars. We’re planning to set up these in all our locations.

Chef’s Mixes

While working on the new menu, we came up with 20 chef’s mixes. These are simple and clear combinations of flavors that help guests make a choice. We also use the chef’s mixes to show people how far mixology can go. We show them that you can put together a brandy truffle, apple popcorn, cream soda, or any other flavor.

Updates

Our team comes up with seasonal specials every three months. We create several specialty and signature items, as well as cocktails and lemonades united by one concept.Some of these end up on the main menu, and after the season is over, we do a product analysis and decide to bring in a new item. That’s how we ended up with Provence Berries, a winter hookah with sweet and sour berries and Provençal herbs.

However, it’s better to try something once than to see it 10 times, so we’re looking forward to seeing you at TIMELESS soon. ;)

The original article was posted on the main portal of the hookah industry, waterpipe.pro.