Soho House is a chain restaurant and group of private members' clubs originally aimed at those in the arts and media, but more recently expanded to include those with a 'creative soul'. The original location is at 40Greek Street, Soho, London. The company now operates clubs, hotels and venues around the world, and in 2015 changed from SOHO House Group to Soho House & Co. Membership is selective and members are drawn mainly from the media, arts and fashion industries.
History & Ownership
sold 80% of the club to British high-street tycoon Richard Caring in 2008. On 13 January 2012, the Financial Times announced that 60% of Soho House Group had been acquired by the US billionaire Ron Burkle, through his investment fundYucaipa for approx. £250m, with founder Nick Jones retaining 10% and Richard Caring 30%, however, in September 2015 the company’s high leverage and limited free cashflow was under scrutiny by fixed income investors. However, company profit potential has been affected by growth in new clubs.
Clubs (Private)
As of 2020, Soho House operates 27 clubs worldwide.
Membership
Soho House membership policies focus on creativity "above net worth and job titles" with "studied resistance to ostentation... cultivated status signifiers," and favour moral values over financial success In June 2015, Soho House had over 50,000 members and a global waiting list of over 30,000.
Incidents
In 2002, the London branch of the club made headlines as Iris Law, the two year old toddler daughter of actor Jude Law and his then wife, actress and designer Sadie Frost, was briefly hospitalized after accidentally consuming a part of an ecstasy tablet she found on the floor of Soho House while attending a child's birthday party. Law was ultimately unharmed. In 2009, more than 80 residents signed an appeal by a neighborhood association against allowing Soho House to move into the top two floors of Luckman Plaza in West Hollywood, near Los Angeles. The opening of the West Hollywood location also drew opposition from Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, an attempt to open a new club also meets fierce protests. An Amsterdam House opened nonetheless in August 2018 , as well as a second house in Barcelona .
Soho House New York was featured in season 6 of the TV SeriesSex and the City in an episode titled "Boy Interrupted". In this episode, Samantha Jones pretends to be a member by using a stolen membership card. On 16 August 2017, the film Tulip Fever was first screened at London's Soho House.
