After moving to Tallahassee from her hometown of Boston, Mass., Sheena Thompson quickly began making a name for herself in the realm of business and entrepreneurship. Both of Thompson’s parents are graduates of Florida A&M University, and when they decided to move back to Tallahassee, so did she.
One of the first things she noticed when she moved to her new city was that most of the restaurants were similar. There was very little diversity for food choices on the menus. Many of the establishments carried similar palettes, which typically included chicken tenders, wings or sandwich shops. Thompson was gifted with an entrepreneurial mindset that led her to creating a few successful businesses, her most recent endeavor being Tastees Bar & Lounge, where she is the co-owner.
Before the changes that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson owned a daycare center. Once health precautions and mask mandates were implemented, it became harder and harder to keep her child-care center open, with many parents heeding the risk of potentially exposing their children to the virus.
But when the city slowly began opening back in the beginning of 2021, Thompson and her business partners came up with the idea of starting Tastees Turkey Legs.
The stuffed turkey legs served at the new restaurant were the staple menu item at the time, but Thompson and her partners soon knew that they would need to expand their menu options to see further progression in their business. While they were originally unsure what the response of local residents would be, the change in menu brought a change in customer traffic. Thompson noticed that with the previous menu option, it caused customers to come on an occasional basis, but the goal was to grow and expand to become a regular stopping point and place for camaraderie.
The next business move would change the trajectory of what Tastees would soon come to be. Once the spot was advertised as a bar and lounge that provided venue space for events to be held, they gained considerably more popularity. People who wanted to promote their small businesses and brands found a new home in Tastees outside of the typical locations that many are used to attending in the Tallahassee area.
Once advertisements about the rebrand were posted in early January, the venue was booked all the way through February within the first week.
“Most events at Tastees are unforgettable,” Thompson said. “We’ve been hearing nothing but great things about the setup and what people experience when they come there. Of course some people aren’t going to be satisfied, but it’s rare when you come to Tastees.”
Tastees has become a place where businesses can celebrate their growth and create an even bigger name for themselves. Abdul-Rafiu Apata is a broadcast journalism student at Florida A&M University who began his clothing brand Chosen Amir Apparel about three years ago. He celebrated the anniversary with an event at Tastees over the weekend. Apata was drawn to Tastees after hearing about the rebrand and reopening in March, believing that there has been a need for a new establishment to hang out and to host events.
“The bar is very nice, they have a hookah stand,” Apata said. “The nickname is called ‘The Patio,’ because there’s an outside set up too, with a DJ and about 10-15 booths. I was very surprised just from the outside but after my very first time I knew that I wanted to throw events there.”
Xavier Aurelin is another FAMU student, who is majoring in psychology and also has his own photography business. In support of his friend Apata and his brand, he also attended Tastees over the weekend. Aurelin has attended Tastees for several different events, whether it be for photography or simply for a day party. Each time, he’s had nothing but memorable experiences.
“It was like a new little vibe to it,” Aurelin says. “There was nice music, and the drinks are great. I’ve also had their food, their food was great. They also have a nice little patio in the back which was a good change of scenery as well, because we only have a couple places to really have fun in Tallahassee.”
While it is still very new, Tastees has begun making a name for itself among the students at Florida A&M as well as local residents. It is slowly but surely becoming a top competitor for the city’s nightlife.