The Square Club

What The Square Club does

The Square Club is an independent private members' club established in 1990 at 15 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol, operating exclusively for professionals in the film, media, and creative industries. It is Bristol's longest-serving members' club of its kind, offering a curated community ecosystem that combines a boutique lounge, an award-winning restaurant serving modern British cuisine, the Lower Deck Cocktail Bar, a heated Secret Garden, and a terrace — all within a single Georgian townhouse. The club operates multiple revenue streams: tiered annual memberships (£240–£600), restaurant and bar F&B open to both members and the public, private event and wedding venue hire, and Square Works co-working memberships (launched 2019) located adjacent to the main club. The club extends its value proposition through Squarely Magazine, an in-house digital and print lifestyle publication covering Bristol's creative scene, and reciprocal partnerships with Karma Group resorts and a global members' club network.

The business employs 13 people, including a kitchen team of 8–10 chefs led by a Head Chef, and operates no proprietary technology stack or disclosed AI capabilities. Membership is acquired through an online portal (Nexudus), with community word-of-mouth, events programming, and content marketing (Squarely Magazine, blog, social channels) as primary demand-generation levers. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: members apply online, the restaurant uses a public booking system, and venue hire is booked via website enquiries. The Square Club has a wholly-owned operating subsidiary, Square Works (a co-working business serving 1,000+ professionals), and is commercially affiliated with the Berkeley Square Hotel and Clifton Hotels group for accommodation benefits — though these are partnership relationships rather than ownership. Revenue is not disclosed; the company has no public listing, no external funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

The Square Club

Legal name

The Square Club

Website

https://thesquareclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Square Club is a Bristol-based private members' club established in 1990 exclusively for creative industry professionals, offering tiered memberships, an award-winning restaurant, cocktail bar, venue hire, and the adjacent Square Works co-working space.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The club generates recurring revenue from three tiers of membership: 27 & Under (£240 annually / £25 monthly), Standard (£400 annually / £38 monthly), and Partner (£600 annually / £58 monthly). Membership provides access to the club's facilities, dining discounts, event privileges, and reciprocal club benefits.
2. Restaurant Food & Beverage: The award-winning restaurant serves modern British cuisine open to both members and non-members. Revenue comes from à la carte dining, Sunday roast set menus (£30 for 2 courses, £36 for 3 courses), and the Lower Deck Cocktail Bar. Members receive 20-40% off dining.
3. Square Works Co-working Memberships: Square Works, located two doors down from the main club, offers flexible workspace memberships including hot-desking, fixed desks, flexible offices, serviced offices, virtual offices, and day passes. These provide recurring membership revenue with exclusive access to The Square Club benefits.
4. Venue Hire & Events: The venue generates revenue from private event hire including weddings, Christmas parties, summer parties, private dining, and corporate events. Spaces accommodate groups from intimate gatherings to 30-130 guests for summer parties. NYE events sell all-inclusive tickets with free bar and entertainment.
5. Squarely Magazine: The club's in-house digital lifestyle publication is distributed digitally and in print (Issue 10), featuring local businesses, creative profiles, and club members. Revenue model is content-driven community engagement supporting membership acquisition and brand positioning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Square Club is a private members' club established in 1990 in Bristol, exclusively serving professionals in the film, media, and creative industries. The core offering is a tiered annual/monthly membership (27 & Under, Standard, Partner) bundled with an award-winning modern British restaurant, Lower Deck Cocktail Bar, heated Secret Garden, and reciprocal global club access. The venue also provides private dining, weddings, and corporate/seasonal event hire, while the adjacent Square Works subsidiary extends the proposition into flexible co-working memberships.

Product overview

The Square Club is a hospitality venue offering private membership, dining, events, and workspace services. The core offering consists of a Private Members' Club (established 1990) for creative industry professionals, an award-winning restaurant, Lower Deck Cocktail Bar, The Secret Garden heated outdoor space, Squarely Magazine digital lifestyle publication, and Square Works co-working space. The venue also provides private event hire and wedding services. Membership tiers (27 & Under, Standard, Partner) provide access to dining discounts, reciprocal club networks, and venue benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Squarely Magazine: In-house digital lifestyle publication made for members and enjoyed by all, providing insight into Bristol's creative scene
• Square Works
• Square Kitchen
• Lower Deck Cocktail Bar
• The Secret Garden
• The Berkeley Square Hotel

Quantifiable outcome

• Best New Year's Eve party in Bristol — The Metro
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Karma GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Square Club has a reciprocal partnership with Karma Group, an award-winning lifestyle and leisure club with luxury resorts worldwide including Karma Borgo di Colleoli in Tuscany. Square Club members receive complimentary nights at Karma resort partners as part of their membership benefits. The partnership provides members with global resort access while Karma Group members gain access to The Square Club's facilities.
• Berkeley Square HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Square Club is located within the same Georgian townhouse network as the Berkeley Square Hotel and Clifton Hotels group. Members receive special hotel rates at Berkeley Square Hotel (42 boutique rooms and 5 luxury suites). The Berkeley Suites recently won a Condé Nast award of excellence. The hotel and club share architectural premises at 15 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol.
• Reciprocal Clubs NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Square Club provides members with access to a network of prestigious members' clubs worldwide, enabling global club access as part of membership benefits. Members can visit partner clubs internationally, expanding their networking and hospitality options beyond Bristol.
• Local Business PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Square Club's membership programme includes discounts at local businesses including gyms, spas, restaurants, and delis in Bristol. These partnerships provide added value to club members while promoting local businesses.
• Sofar Sounds BristolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Square Club collaborates with Sofar Sounds Bristol for music programming, featuring local artists and 'Ones to Watch' spotlights in Squarely Magazine. Sofar Sounds provides intimate live music events while The Square Club provides editorial coverage and a platform for emerging musicians.
• Clifton Hotels GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSquare Club members receive special rates across the Clifton Hotels group properties, which includes Berkeley Square Hotel, The Berkeley Suites (Condé Nast award winners), and other boutique hotels in the Clifton area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Ivy Club: Private members' club affiliated with The Ivy restaurant brand, offering dining, bar and event access via tiered membership. Comparable premium-restaurant-anchored members' club format.
• The Hospital Club: London private members' club for people in creative industries with restaurant, event spaces and bedrooms. Closely comparable curated-creative positioning and members' club venue model.
• The Conduit: London private members' club combining restaurant, bar, coworking and a curated community programme. Comparable to The Square Club's curated membership and hospitality-plus-workspace hybrid.
• Eight Members Club: London private members' club with restaurant, bar, coworking and event spaces under one roof. Directly comparable multi-revenue-stream private members' club operating in a similar hospitality-plus-workspace format.
• Soho House: Global private members' club focused on creative industries with restaurants, bars, events, co-working (Soho Works) and bedrooms. Closest direct peer to The Square Club's curated-creative membership model and hybrid hospitality-workspace offering.
• Home House: London private members' club operating a Georgian townhouse with restaurant, bar, bedrooms and private event hire. Directly comparable members' club venue format and revenue mix to The Square Club.
• Morton's Members Club: London private members' club with restaurant, bar and private dining offering tiered memberships. Comparable membership-tiered model and townhouse hospitality format.

Regional players

• Runway East: UK-focused flexible workspace brand with multiple locations including Bristol. Regional comparable for Square Works' co-working positioning and creative-startup tenant base.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global flexible workspace operator. Relevant broad incumbent for the Square Works co-working revenue stream, though without the private members' club layer.

Emerging players

• Soho Works: Co-working brand from Soho House combining workspace with members' club access. Direct comparable for Square Works' hybrid workspace-members' club offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/squareclub
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesquareclub
• TikToktiktok.com/@thesquareclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-square-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Square Club