The Stanza Building a contrarian members club in NYC
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Today's guest is David Litwak, co-founder of Maxwell Social. I'm excited to share the founding story of Maxwell because they're one of the very few emerging members clubs that are bold enough to take a contrarian approach to the business model. They have an open kitchen instead of a restaurant, they're not open during the weekday daytime, they don't have reciprocal clubs, and they ask their members to contribute to the community. The way Maxwell is structured is to re-align business incentives with the interests of the members, and to create an environment that facilitates deep relationships between members. It's completely different from the traditional "aspirational exclusivity" we've seen across most of the popular members club brands without sacrificing sophistication and style.
David isn't afraid to share his opinions and if you want a behind the scenes view on the members club business, you'll enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in.
Interview Highlights
- Gated restaurants with a community tagline
- Naming the club after 1920's socialite Elsa Maxwell as part of their core brand
- Why Maxwell is opting out of providing amenities such as a restaurant, gym, co-working space, etc.
- Programming that facilitates deep relationships & community contribution
- How they sourced their location in Tribeca & maximizing the real estate
- Raising capital as a new members club operator
- Attributes of a Maxwell member
- David's hot takes on why certain clubs have become cultural institutions
- The vision for Maxwell's future
More about Maxwell Social
Connect with Maxwell on IG: @maxwellsocial
Connect with David on LinkedIn here.