Today’s members-only spaces are not the cigar smoke-filled men’s lodges or the tea-sipping women’s leagues of old. They aren’t really any one thing at all and, presumably, that’s part of the point.
When you think of private clubs in San Francisco, the Ken Fulk–designed Battery naturally comes to mind. The visionaries behind the beautiful downtown club had their finger on the pulse of SF’s future when they opened the place in FiDi back in 2013. But while The Battery trades in exclusivity, the blue chip club actually draws a wider, more diverse membership than many of this younger crop of private social spaces which take aim at hyper-niche audiences, seeking to fit members and their interests, not the other way around.
Take star chef Dominique Crenn’s club, Crenn Collection. This is a community for people who don’t just love eating incredible food, but discovering it through farm and foraging days, chocolate and cocktail classes, and blind wine tastings.
“Over the years, we’ve seen that our guests not only appreciate the exceptional dining at our restaurants but also want deeper connections with the artistry behind each dish, the philosophy of our kitchens, and the broader culinary culture we nurture,” says Crenn Dining Group concierge and events coordinator Rhia Kyjowsky.
Year-long memberships, which begin annually on December 1st (yes, there are still a few spots available for 2024/25), include four Crenn-approved events per quarter (the chef is guaranteed to be at at least one of them), plus additional workshops and perks like Atelier Crenn tasting menu tickets, preferred reservations, and discounts from the Crenn Collection’s wine cellar.
“For Chef Crenn, food is deeply personal, so it seemed natural to extend this experience and offer guests a more intimate entry,” Kyjowsky says.
Saison, which opened their SF wine bar and cellar earlier this year, gears their members-only club towards, you guessed it, lovers of fine wine. The Saison Cellar Membership combines social events like wine tastings with wine purchasing consultations, climate-controlled wine storage, and use of their private cellar space, among other things.
Others are drawn by the enthusiastic car culture of the recently opened, L.A.-originating outfit, The Motoring Club. A coffee shop on its public-facing-side, for members it’s a community for car people to connect over, well, cars (and probably other stuff too, The Motoring Club did not respond to our request for more information).
Aficionados of contemporary art have the freshly re-planted ICA SF’s 901 Club, through which members have access to special events like exhibition openings, curatorial walk-throughs, and artist talks; the St. Joseph’s Art Society draws those with an interest in conversation and creativity through multidisciplinary art and design events and experiences at its National Historic Landmark headquarters, the former St. Joseph’s Church; and in the Castro, The Academy builds solidarity and connection within the LGBTQ+ community.
Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, 7x7 is in the people-connecting game now, too. Launched this past spring, 7x7 Social Club has been bringing together San Franciscans with an interest in local culture and art via creative workshops and events, and exclusive access and discounts to restaurants, shows, and more Bay Area fun.
No matter how they slice it, SF’s members-only clubs share the same goal: forming and maintaining a vibrant, socially connected city. In an increasingly politically divided, digital and AI world, we need each other now, in real life, more than ever.
