August 24, 2021
Mangos Cafe opened as a cozy hookah bar tucked away in the northern end of the Short North Arts District in 2011. Now, owner Ayham Alammar is celebrating his recent purchase of the building, as well as a decade in business, with a new name and exciting new offerings, including a full bar, restaurant, event space, and more. We recently spoke to him about his experience in the last decade, the new changes, and what he’s looking forward to for the next 10 years.
Mangos is celebrating 10 years in the Short North Arts District – congratulations! What has been the most rewarding part of being a business in this community for the last decade?
Serving the community since 2011 has been a fantastic experience; we appreciate the support from our regulars and the neighborhood in the Short North area!
Over the past 10 years, Mangos has been recognized with many awards; how many and what awards has the business received?
Most recently, Mangos has been awarded Recommendation Badges by Restaurant Guru for 2020 and 2021, and was named the Best Hookah Bar in Columbus by Columbus Monthly’s annual Best of Columbus readers’ poll in 2020.
What do these awards mean to you?
These awards mean the world to us; knowing we please so many people in the city and serve them with our best service and knowledge is what motivates us to do the best job serving our customers.
There are some exciting new changes at Mangos; in addition to hookah, it now also offers a full-service bar, food, and cigar lounge. What made you decide to make these changes after 10 years?
We want to bring to Columbus an experience that has never been done in the city, and to keep serving our customers and connect with so many more.
What other changes can visitors look forward to seeing in the future at Mangos?
We want to start doing more events and connect with musicians and artists in the city, and start hosting parties and events to bring people together
What are you most looking forward to for Mangos for the next 10 years?
We look forward to continuing to offer our customers the best of the best, and to grow more by opening more locations in the city and bringing our lovely customers back.
Mangos Bar, Hookah & Restaurant is located at 21 Smith Place.