Wednesday, July 17, 2002

A story published today by the Marco Island Eagle reports that people in Marco Island, Florida who are tired of the same old singles scene now have a new alternative to choose, a new singles-only supper club.

Besides giving singles a new way of meeting other singles, members of the new club will have an opportunity to attend wine tastings, travel together and attend other cultural events, said Barry Adelson, co- owner of the Fort Lauderdale- based Gourmet Singles Supper Club.

"Our objective is to get singles together in a no-hassle environment," Adelson said.

People who belong to the club come for a variety of reasons, to network for business or make friends or fall in love, Adelson said. Some come because they like eating out, but don't always have a friend to accompany them.

"The appeal is going out to nice places and not having to do it by yourself," Adelson explained.

"(Club members) have just found the most enjoyable way to find a steady stream of the most interesting and interested people in the area, bar none," Adelson said. "That's really what it's about."

Barry Adelson and partner Laura Simoncini want to expand their supper club's restaurant destinations to include dinner engagements on Marco Island as well.

"We feel that Marco Island has a lot of quality people there and there's a big need for us," Adelson said.

In addition to their yearly membership fee of $89, club members are required to pay for their dinners. The supper club meets weekly at a variety of South Florida restaurants and the cost of the dinners is usually a reduced group rate, Adelson said.

"We're not a matchmaker, we don't match anybody up," he said. "We put people together for an evening of conversation, fine dining and laughing."