Salt Lake City members-only social club set to open next month
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Courtesy of Edison House
Edison House, a membership-only social club, is coming to downtown Salt Lake City.
Yes, and: Axios got a sneak peek of the 30,000-square-foot space before its Dec. 5 opening date.
Details: For $225 a month and a $500 onboarding fee, Edison House members will have unlimited access to the three-story clubhouse and to exclusive social events.
- Located at 335 South 200 W, it will feature a boutique fitness center, a rooftop pool, four bars and a restaurant.
- Former Pallet Bistro head chef Buzz Willey is the club's executive chef. He joined earlier this year, Lauren Boyack, the club's head of membership, told Axios.
State of play: The social club was founded by Salt Lake City natives and brothers George Cardon-Bystry and Charlie Cardon.
- "We're younger, more dynamic, more progressive," he said. "We are not your grandfather's country club."
- The social club aims to further Salt Lake City's nightlife, which has not kept up with its rapid population growth, according to Cardon-Bystry.
Zoom out: Private clubs are making a resurgence in the U.S. among millennials due to the proliferation of remote work and digital burnout.
- At Edison House, the median age of members is 37.
Zoom in: "It's exciting to see Salt Lake City jumping on the trend of a more youth-based social club scene that you'd see in Soho House," said Zack Bates, CEO of Private Club Marketing, which provides consulting services for private clubs.
- He said Utah's capital is becoming increasingly attractive to young professionals for being business-friendly and for its affordability compared to top-tier cities like New York and Los Angeles.
- Salt Lake City is already home to the prominent Alta Club, which was founded in 1883 — 13 years before Utah gained statehood.
What they're saying: "It's sort of an aesthetic that is not well represented in Utah," Boyack said, referring to Edison's expensive interiors and furnishings. "We've been sort of a medium market on the precipice of something bigger for a long time and, I think to me, [this] represents a huge step forward in that direction."
How it works: Edison House memberships require a yearlong commitment. Members are vetted through an application process, interview and committee review.
By the numbers: Boyack declined to disclose its membership numbers, but Bates said a similarly sized club would aim to have 3,000 members.
Between the lines: Boyack said they are trying to be more inclusive of women, people of color and the LGBTQ community than traditional golf-centered country clubs.
- While there are many similarities to Soho House, Boyack noted the club seeks members from various industries.
- It offers discounted member sponsorships to make the community "more inclusive and dynamic," according to its website.