GETTING PRIVE WITH IT

This new Short North members-only club is bringing major metropolitan opulence to Columbus

↓ Privé Lounge, interior ↓ Privé Lounge, interior

You would have a difficult time confusing the City of Columbus with New York or Los Angeles. And while Shawn Shahnazi and the new ownership group behind Chophouse 614—formerly Urban’s Chophouse—aren’t trying to change that, they are trying to bring just a touch more metropolitan flair to the Arch City.

For Shahnazi and business partner Justin McMaster, this starts and ends with Privé Members Lounge, a newly created members-only club attached to the Short North steakhouse.

“Over the last four or five years, concepts like this,—the private clubs that were popular in the 80s and 90s—have made a huge comeback in New York, L.A., Miami,” Shahnazi said. “We want to bring that to Ohio.”

Privé Lounge, which takes its name from the French word for “private,” is located inside the 2,000-squarefoot space connected to the eatery that served as the Whiskey Lounge, a more casual bar space, under previous ownership.

Renovations on the new iteration of Chophouse began early this summer, as the Short North restaurant’s new ownership group swapped out high-top tables for formal seating and flatbreads for more upscale menu items, in a flurry corresponding moves that sought to redefine what was formerly Urban’s Chophouse into the sleeker, more elegant Chophouse 614.

But according to Shanazi, the name of the game is balancing elegance with approachability. While Privé will, as its name suggests, serve as a private club— with approximately 300 total members at any given time—it hopes to sidestep the haughtiness and exclusionary atmosphere that he believes some similar clubs can carry. →

“We won’t have a password system; we’ll have a staff member available at all times to greet our members at the door,” Shahnazi said. “It’s about acknowledging our members, but staying welcoming.”

But that’s not to say there won’t be opulence on hand for Privé attendees, either. Operating with three different membership levels (all of which allow multiple guests entrance as well), the club will offer everything from bottle service, to personal lockers for spirits and cigars, to car service in one of the club’s Rolls Royce or Mercedes S-Class vehicles. Luxury living quarters on the upper levels of the Short North spot can also be rented out by members.

According to Shahnazi, dues will cost $150 per month for Emerald members, the club’s entry level; $500 per month for Diamond members; and $1,000 per month for Corporate membership, which is intended for upscale businesses.

If you don’t have $500 or more to shell out every month, don’t worry, you won’t be alone.

“We anticipate 90 to 95 percent of our memberships being Emerald,” Shahnazi said.

And of course, every membership level comes complete with standing reservations at Chophouse 614 within 48 hours.

“What I love about this venue is you can have an intimate dining room setting, walk over 50 feet and you can enjoy music and company,” Shahnazi said. “It is a social club, so there’s always going to be a high-energy component. But you have that energy mixed with luxury; it’s like a country club 2.0.”

To learn more, visit privememberslounge.com