A local hookah lounge that allegedly poses fire and life safety concerns to its employees and patrons will be closed until further notice.
A stop work order was issued July 22 to Nomads Hookah Lounge, 101 Southwest 41st Street Suite F, by the Renton Regional Fire Authority. This order will stay in effect until specific changes are made and requirements are met.
The order was issued following an occupant load check around 1:30 a.m. on July 22, according to Fire Marshal Anjela St. John. During the check, she said, the lounge was 20 people over its maximum occupancy load of 49.
The owner will be required to make modifications to increase occupancy. St. John said currently Nomads does not have adequate exits to hold more than its load capacity.
Once structural changes are made, the owner will need to submit an abatement plan before the lounge is granted the approval to reopen.
The RRFA requested assistance from the Renton Police Department for Saturday’s occupant load check due to ongoing gun violence that has been occurring in the area surrounding Nomads since last December, a media release stated.
This was not the first time RRFA has issued a stop work order to Nomads.
St. John said in December 2016 RRFA had received complaints about the number of people in the lounge.
Continuing problems with occupancy and more complaints from the public also led to the July occupant load check.
The first stop work order was issued Jan. 14, St. John said.
Because the owner assured fire officials Nomads would stay under maximum occupancy requirements, St. John said the lounge was allowed to reopen a few days after the first stop work order.
Other Issues
Since May 5, 2016 when RRFA first did an initial business license inspection, St. John said the owner was told the business needed to provide proper verification documents for their cooktop.
She said they were asked again on June 28, 2016 for that documentation but did not receive any.
During the January occupancy load check, St. John said fire officials did not make note of the cooktop; they were there just to check on the number of occupants.
On July 3, St. John said fire officials stopped in to talk to the owner prior to business hours. This is when the business was again cited for its cooktop.
A proper hood or ventilation unit was not installed and the proper documentation was not filed at that point, she said.
Nomads was issued a stop work order on its cooktop until the necessary changes were made.
As of July 22, proper documents regarding Nomads cooktop have not been submitted to RRFA.
During the occupancy check on July 22, St. John said she noticed the cooktop had been removed and a new heating system was set up in its place.
This time, their heating unit consisted of two hot plates with an open flame near pieces of plywood. St. John added this new heating system was installed in an exit way.
“I’d say this heating system was worse than their old cooktop,” she said.
Along with making structural changes to allow more for occupants, Nomads will also have to provide the appropriate permits and install its cooktop and heating systems properly with proper ventilation before the stop work order will be lifted.
St. John said while patrons are inside the lounge, staff is bolting the door shut, another issue that causes fire and life safety concerns.
She said in a phone interview Monday that she would be speaking with the owner that day about other ways to keep non-member customers out while not locking patrons inside.
On Tuesday, St. John said she did speak with the owner and the person seemed to understand the RRFA’s concerns for fire and life safety. She said they discussed the requirements and the necessary changes that need to happen before the stop work order can be lifted.
She added the owner assured her the plan is to make their establishment a safe place for their customers.
The Reporter reached out to the owner of Nomads Tuesday morning and is waiting for a return call.
For more information, contact the fire marshal’s office at 425-430-7023.
