Yearning for more social outlets in Cleveland? Join the club—Bloom Social Co., that is. The social clubhouse launched this month in Lakewood with an open house and—appropriately enough—a free margarita mixer to commemorate National Margarita Day.

“As adults, we tend to settle into our routine of working our 9-to-5 jobs and coming home,” says founder Latasha Blackwell. “My goal is to bring people together to socialize and enjoy each others’ company.”

Blackwell is uniquely poised to do it, having worked for a private social club in Cleveland from 2014 through 2017 and having served on the student programming board at University of Akron (from which she graduated in 2013). “[Through my experiences,] I’ve learned about the art of keeping people attracted, taking care of your members, and putting their interests first,” she says.

Blackwell plans to serve those interests with a diverse array of weekly events, ranging from yoga classes to trivia nights to themed mixers such as “Music Mondays.” According to Blackwell, all programming will be aligned with her “business model focused on overall health, [delivered via] social, educational, and wellness events.”

Events will take place within Bloom Social Co.’s physical space, an approximately 800-square-foot former storefront at 13439 Detroit Ave. The space features lounging areas, game tables, and a mini-market stocked with beverages and snacks. While events will be open to the public, Blackwell also plans to launch a paid membership option in March offering discounted event tickets, member exclusives, and virtually unlimited access to the space.

“The clubhouse will double as a gathering space and our event space,” Blackwell says. “Anyone who signs up for a membership will be able to come in and lounge and use the free Wi-Fi.”

Though the club is primarily designed to interact offline, Blackwell has also created interest-specific Facebook groups around food, volunteerism, and fitness. It’s all part of the Cleveland native’s vision for creating community and offering a vibrant social hub in Greater Cleveland.

"I've wanted to do something like this ever since I was in middle school," says Blackwell. “Growing up in the suburbs, I often wished I could have a center or social hub to create events and bring people together."

Mission accomplished—and now Blackwell gets to watch it bloom.