SARATOGA SPRINGS — A hookah lounge might be proposed in Schenectady, but one on Caroline Street will open Wednesday.

Badger's Hookah Bar at 42 Caroline St. will begin "offering the largest variety of shisha in the region," meaning flavored tobaccos that the bar says are concocted by their resident Samoan shisha chef, Nate Gillie.

The hookah is a water pipe rooted in the Indian and Persian tradition that allows flavored tobacco smoke to pass through water and be cooled before it is inhaled through a hose and pipe.

The lounges are plentiful in large cities, but have yet to make a big splash in the Capital Region. One in Schenectady is planning a January opening.

A spokesman with the state Health Department said hookah lounges are regulated under a public health law that covers retail tobacco businesses. Such businesses must make most of their profit from tobacco products, with the sale of other items being incidental. Badger's also sells coffee, water and soda.

Danika Atkins, who is marketing Badger's, said the bar had wanted to spread interest by word of mouth, and did not plan on a splashy opening. She said the bar is unlike others in New York City, in that the decor resembles an upscale lounge rather than one with Indian or Middle Eastern influences.

The hookah bar's website posts a list of rules, including no one under 18 will be admitted, other smoking substances are prohibited and there is a $7 charge for people who aren't paying to smoke from a hookah. A single-blend tobacco, like banana or cherry flavors, costs $11.99. A house specialty tobacco, like caramel apple or gumball, costs $13.99.

The owner, Helen Schisser, also runs Badger's Cigar Den in Schuylerville.

lstanforth@timesunion.com • 518-454-5697