Behind an unmarked door on East Main Street in downtown Rochester, a staircase leads down into a lit 3,000-square-foot space. Half of the room is a stocked bar; the other half is a dining area. Welcome to Exclusively Members Only (EMO), a membership-based social club opened by three Black millennial women. And while the historic space needed some sprucing up, the trio saw something special, something exclusive.
“We saw a diamond in the rough,” said co-owner Janelle Holmes.
EMO, which is currently open Thursday through Sunday, was opened in September by Holmes, her sister Jahnae Holmes, and their childhood friend, Charmaine Walker. All three owners have backgrounds and skillsets that mesh into the perfect partnership…