Rakeem Jones: Fayetteville club just one of a few ventures for these FSU Broncos
The City of Fayetteville recently rallied together to celebrate the homecoming of Fayetteville State University. Students, alumni, and the community gathered around 1200 Murchison Road to cheer the Broncos on to a 54-0 victory over the Saint Augustine’s Falcons.
The week was filled with events on and off the sprawling campus. One of those events took place at a new venue located on Yadkin Road called EV Lounge. EV Lounge, a multipurpose event space, is co-owned by a current Bronco and a former Bronco.
Premiere “Pre” Coston, 24, is a 2020 graduate of FSU. She has a degree in business administration with concentration in marketing. However, her entrepreneurial journey began when she was doing lashes in her dorm room.
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She credits her professors such as Rodney McCrowre and Dean Brown with motivating her to pursue her goal of ownership. Upon graduation, Pre returned to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. She came back to Fayetteville with one goal in mind: make an impact.
Impact is made through acquisition and ownership. With that notion, Coston opened Kreative Kontrol on September 11, 2021. The inspiration for Kreative Kontrol Studios came from a senior paper about how salons have shifted from the open-floor format. The 5,800-square-foot space boasts 15 suite-style rooms. But those 15 were not enough tohandle the demand.
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As a result, Coston announced the opening of Opulenza, another 5,800-square-foot space with 5 suite style rooms and open floor to handle the overflow from Kreative Kontrol Studios.
As a student, Premiere fell in love with the simplicity of Fayetteville and returned to the city in search of a building. That building would be the former site of Euphoria Hookah Lounge on Yadkin Road. She enlisted the help of her friend of 13 years, DayQuon White, a 23- year-old FSU student, Richmond native and veteran.
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White came to Fayetteville at the age 17 as a member of the Army. White’s brand, Lowkey Grinders, is a symbol of the life that leads. He believes in getting things done and “staying out of the way.”
However, DayQuon is no stranger to the community. He operates the Vets for Youth program as a member of the Southern CC organization alongside Tony Brown. On any given Saturday, White can be found doing work or teaching in the YMUS community garden. Philanthropy is a major component of his life. EV Lounge will serve as another vehicle to give back to Fayetteville.
The EV in EV Lounge stands for Exhale Vibes. Coston and White plan to bring the vibe of Houston’s nightlife to Fayetteville in the form of an intimate lounge. In the last week of August 2022, the pair acquired the Yadkin Road location. They pushed to open the space within 30 days of acquisition.
After obtaining the proper permits, EV Lounge was able to host an event during the homecoming week. However, the grand opening of EV Lounge is scheduled for Saturday.
Their grand opening will be a celebration of hard work and collective effort between two longtime friends.
Premiere believes in order to achieve success, one must be pushed to do things that are uncomfortable. DayQuon, who goes by @leadmotivator on Instagram, wants the youth to know you can still be on top of your game and enjoy life.
You can visit EV Lounge at 5044 Yadkin Road, Suite 102 or follow them on Instagram @evloungefay.
Salute to DayQuon, Pre, and every activist getting active. Peace.
Rakeem “Keem” Jones is a community advocate and father of three from the Shaw Road/Bonnie Doone area of Fayetteville. He can be reached at keemj45@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Jones: Fayetteville club just one of a few ventures for these FSU Broncos
