If you are a FAMU student who likes to #turnup, then you probably start your weekend on Wednesday night at The Moon, followed by Thursdays at PrimeTime. Those seem to be the only options available to students these days, but that all has changed, three weeks ago Recess Night Club began catering to a different crowd, the young black elite of Talahassee, Fla. Founded by Carrington Coleman and Caleb Ross, OnlyOneOption Marketing, is one of the reasons for the rise in popularity of Recess. Their Thursday night sessions, #Elev8Recess, seems to be the new move among college students. The aura that Recess and OnlyOneOption Marketing bring to the Tallahassee night life is nothing short of exquisite mixed with an urban flare.
OnlyOneOption Marketing is a multifaceted company which specializes in hosting nightlife events. They offer a luxurious experience catering to an upscale crowd.
Recess provides an atmosphere so sexy, so upscale and unlike anything in town that it’s easy to forget you’re in Tallahassee. Recess invites you to part ways with your dry Thursday night routine and come experience a new nightlife under the stars.
I had the pleasure of attending the clubs premiere night and the atmosphere and overall experience blew me away. I knew I had to talk to the young men responsible and learn more about them, their new venue, and what they have in store for the future.
Jordan Symone: How did you guys meet? And what made you guys decide to become partners?
CWR: We met through The Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as line brothers. And we became business partners because I saw potential in Carrington and felt as if he could bring a lot of innovation to the brand.
Jordan Symone: Describe O1O in three words, then tell me a little about the men who founded the business.
CWR: O1O is an innovative and organized network. I’ve been planning events since I was 15, and at 16 I became a DJ. Around the age of 17 I started planning more and more parties from club events to high school events. When I came to college I already had a blueprint so I started with Coliseum Tuesdays, then Coliseum Fridays, then Primetime Thursdays, and now I’m at PotBelly’s and Recess Night Club. After college I want to keep the marketing group going but I want to own and manage boutique hotels.
Jordan Symone: What are some of the major challenges you all faced starting up this business?CWR: Finding opportunities with venues that would let us have creative rights and become very profitable.
Jordan Symone: How did you come up with the name OnlyOneOption, and what does that mean to you all?
CWR: The name use to be High Class Productions but we decided to go with something more creative and catchy. Only One Option means that we are the only option for event planning and hosting.
Jordan Symone: Are you guys open to having a female join the O1O team? The school of journalism is filled with talented young women with expertise in fields that could be beneficial to your business. Is that something you guys have discussed?
CC: Yes, we are open to the idea of women joining our team, experience or not. Expansion is not always a positive thing, but when everybody is on the same page and trying to reach a common goal, then it is a major plus for the company!
Jordan Symone: I, along with many of my peers attended Recess on opening night. It was an amazing turn out. Were you guys impressed with the amount of people and the positive response you received?
CC: Hard work pays off, we truly worked numerous hours to guarantee a successful night in our transition from primetime to recess. We knew that we had it in us, because we saw the quality of work we produced at Primetime, so we knew we could do the same at Recess.
Jordan Symone: Lastly, where do you guys see your business and yourselves as partners in 5 years?
CC: In 5 years, we see O1O expanding as a nationwide marketing team that brands not only night life events, but also market political campaigns.
My favorite saying is, “If you knew better, you’d do better.” Now that you know about Recess and O1O don’t spend another Thursday night elsewhere, after all they gave you a prime example of why they are the number one option , and the only option you should consider!