Five in One Social Club has acquired the former Memphis Cycle & Supply Co. building at 2575 Summer Avenue and plans to expand their operations on Broad Avenue into the new location.
“My husband and I moved to Memphis eight years ago, and it was our dream to buy a building,” said Alice Laskey-Castle, owner of Five in One Social Club. “The building’s so beautiful, and we’re very excited that we were able to purchase it. It’s in really fantastic shape, but there is some work to be done to convert it from being a bicycle showroom and workshop into a workshop for us.”
The company plans to keep its retail store and clubhouse on Broad Avenue for selling unique Memphis-centric gifts and conducting workshops, and they will move their production facility and art studios into the new 10,000-s.f. building on Summer Avenue.
“It will allow us to spread out a little bit,” she said. “The best part about the new building is we will be able to invite the public in to see some of the activities.”
She also envisions expanding the Broad Ave. clubhouse into the Summer Ave. location, paving the way for more expansive workshops and classes teaching screen printing and other print-making techniques.
The Five in One Social Club offers bi-weekly creative workshops for ages 16-plus, including crafts such as creating beeswax candles, wine bottle glasses, stained glass sun-catchers, and bookbinding. The social club’s goal is to bring people together to learn, create and form friendships.
Laskey-Castle runs the shop with her husband, printer and product designer C. Michael Andrews, along with two other part-time employees.
“We envision hiring two to six more people as part of our long-term plans, and we have plans that we’re not revealing yet that will generate more jobs in the future,” said Laskey-Castle.
The building on Summer Ave. was built in 1950 and served as a bike shop for several decades for being abandoned and sitting unoccupied for many years.
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