The 1836 Club

What The 1836 Club does

The 1836 Club is an exclusive private members club operating in Little Rock, Arkansas, out of the historic McDonald-Wait-Newton House (also known as the Packet House), a 12,000-square-foot Second Empire style Victorian estate built in 1869 by U.S. Senator Alexander McDonald and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The club is named for 1836, the year Arkansas achieved statehood, and serves a curated membership of industry leaders and policy makers seeking an environment for business networking, client entertainment, and private dining. There is no proprietary technology platform underlying the business; operations are built around the physical estate and traditional hospitality services.

The core product set centers on the club's facilities and member experience, including a dining and bar program with a curated cocktail, wine, and whiskey list; the Churchill Cigar Lounge and a reservation-only VIP Cigar Lounge; the Pilots Lounge featuring a Boeing 737 fuselage display; private event spaces (Governor's Room, Caucus Room, Main Dining Room); an outdoor patio overlooking the Arkansas River; and private cigar lockers. Members also gain reciprocal access to more than 70 partner clubs across major U.S. cities and internationally in locations including London, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Toronto, Singapore, and Bangkok, and access to the Virtual 1836 Club, an online member community. The club has received an ASID Excellence in Design Award for its bar interior.

The business generates revenue through two primary streams: recurring membership dues across Individual, Corporate, and Corporate Designee tiers, and on-premise food and beverage sales (dining, cocktails, wine, whiskey, and cigars). Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed, and prospective members must apply and be approved by a membership committee. Acquisition is primarily referral-driven through existing members and guests, supplemented by a modest social media presence on Instagram and Facebook and visibility through member events and the reciprocal club network.

Name

The 1836 Club

Legal name

The 1836 Club

Website

https://the1836club.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The 1836 Club is an exclusive private members club in Little Rock, Arkansas, housed in the 1869 Packet House on the National Register of Historic Places. It serves industry leaders and policy makers through fine dining, premium cigar lounges, private event spaces, and reciprocal access to 70+ partner clubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Members Club / Hospitality Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led) (CRAEADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cigar Bars & Lounges (CRANACAK), Specialty Membership Clubs (Category-Focused) (CRAEADAI)

Keywords

• Private members club
• Hospitality services
• Cigar lounge
• Private dining
• Reciprocal clubs

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The club generates revenue primarily through annual/multi-year membership fees from individual, corporate, and corporate designee members. Members pay recurring dues for access to the club's facilities, dining, events, and reciprocal club network.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from dining services, bar operations, cocktails, wine, whiskey, and cigar sales within the club. The club offers dining, cocktails, and maintains extensive wine and whiskey lists.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The 1836 Club is an exclusive private members club that provides dining, bar, cigar lounge, and private event services from the historic 12,000-square-foot Packet House estate in Little Rock, Arkansas. Membership access (Individual, Corporate, and Corporate Designee tiers) grants use of multiple dining rooms, the Churchill Cigar Lounge, the Pilots Lounge, an outdoor river-view patio, private event spaces, and reciprocal access to partner private clubs domestically and internationally. Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues plus on-premises food and beverage sales.

Product overview

The 1836 Club is an exclusive private members club offering a unified hospitality experience centered on fine dining, cocktails, and cigars. The core offering is membership access to the 12,000-square-foot Packet House estate featuring: Dining + Bar services with award-winning interior design; Churchill Cigar Lounge and VIP Cigar Lounge for premium cigar experiences; the Pilots Lounge as an aviation-themed bar; private event spaces (Governor's Room, Caucus Room, Main Dining Room); an outdoor river view patio; and reciprocal club access nationwide and internationally. Membership also includes virtual community engagement and private cigar locker storage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dining + Bar On-site restaurant and bar services featuring a menu, cocktail list, wine list, and whiskey list, with an award-winning (ASID) interior design; available exclusively to club members and their guests.
• Membership Services Private club membership providing access to all club amenities including dining, bar, cigar lounges, event spaces, and reciprocal club benefits; offered as Individual, Corporate, and Corporate Designee tiers with application and committee approval.
• Churchill Cigar Lounge Little Rock's premier cigar room designed in English library style with plush leather seating, a humidor stocked with premium cigars, and a reservable VIP Cigar Lounge.
• Private Event Spaces Private dining rooms including The Governor's Room, The Caucus Room, and Main Dining Room for business meetings or social occasions.
• Reciprocal Clubs Access Access to partner private clubs domestically across the US and internationally including clubs in UK, Australia, India, Singapore, Thailand, and Canada for members traveling for business or pleasure.
• Virtual 1836 Club Virtual community platform enabling members to engage in conversations with fellow members who are experts in their fields.
• Private Cigar Lockers Reserved storage lockers for members to store their favorite cigars.
• Pilots Lounge Aviation-themed lounge featuring multiple flat screens for game-day viewing and a distinctive bar with Boeing 737 fuselage display as a tribute to Arkansas's aviation industry.
• Outdoor River View Patio Outdoor patio overlooking the Arkansas River with TV viewing and relaxed atmosphere.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Reciprocal Club Network (Domestic)coreOthersThe club maintains reciprocal relationships with over 70 domestic private clubs across the United States, including clubs in major cities such as New York, Boston, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Washington DC. Members can access these clubs when traveling for business or pleasure.
• Reciprocal Club Network (International)coreOthersThe club has established reciprocal relationships with international private clubs including locations in Australia (Melbourne), Canada (Toronto, Victoria, Dorval), India (Nagpur), Pakistan (Karachi), Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok), and the United Kingdom (London, Edinburgh). These partnerships provide global access for members.

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Soho House: Global private members club focused on dining, bar, social events, and reciprocal global access for creative professionals. Closest modern analogue to the 1836 Club's membership-plus-hospitality model, though at vastly larger scale and with a younger-skewing demographic.
• Houston Club: Private business and social club occupying upper floors of a downtown Houston tower, serving executives with dining, private events, and reciprocal access. Closely matches the 1836 Club's dues-plus-F&B-plus-events operating model.
• Pacific-Union Club: Iconic private club housed in a historic Nob Hill building in San Francisco, providing dining, lodging, and reciprocal club benefits to executives. Comparable in combining historic landmark venue with traditional club hospitality.
• The Jonathan Club: Historic private social and business club in Los Angeles offering dining, bar, cigars, private event rooms, and reciprocal club access. Closely mirrors the 1836 Club's traditional city-club format and curated amenity mix.
• Metropolitan Club (New York): Long-established private social and business club in NYC providing dining, private events, and reciprocal access. Shares the traditional city-club positioning toward senior executives and policy makers that defines the 1836 Club's value proposition.
• University Club of Little Rock: Direct local peer — an exclusive private club in Little Rock offering dining, private events, and business networking for established professionals. Most comparable competitor for the same Little Rock member pool.

Regional players

• Commerce Club (Atlanta): Private dining and business club serving Atlanta's business community with curated food, beverage, and event programming. Comparable in operating model and target member profile, but in a different regional market.
• The Capital Club: Private business and dining club serving executives in a U.S. state capital market, comparable in model (dues + F&B + event programming) but operating in a different regional market.

Emerging players

• The Core Club: Modern high-end private membership club in New York targeting successful entrepreneurs and executives. Represents the newer, tech-enabled, premium-pricing evolution of the private-club model that the 1836 Club competes against for executive mindshare.

Others

• Cigar Lounge / Country Club hybrid venues (e.g., Tavern Co., Palm Beach Country Club): Adjacent peer category: private venues that pair cigar lounge amenities with curated food and beverage programs for an executive clientele. Useful as a partial benchmark for the cigar-driven portion of the 1836 Club's offering, though lacking the reciprocal-club framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/the1836club
• Facebookfacebook.com/the1836club
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-1836-club

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The 1836 Club