Following Saturday’s fatal shooting at the French Club located on Spencer Avenue, Council President Matt Frank—who represents the neighborhood—announced his intention to scrutinize the city’s social clubs more carefully and to push for the revocation of the French Club’s licenses.
Frank explained that he has encountered ongoing issues with the French Club over an extended period. According to his assessment, the root cause of these difficulties, including the shooting that occurred Saturday, stems from the establishment operating as a bar rather than functioning as a legitimate private social club.
“fblikebutton_button” Frank stated further: “They obviously didn’t have control of their clientele last Saturday and they shouldn’t have clientele. They should have a membership…The French Club is not a bar and it’s operating as a bar. One of my biggest concerns has been coming up with a plan of enforcing these social clubs that act as bars. If these places want to operate as a club or a bar, they cannot do it with a social club license. That’s not what it’s for.” He added that when the License Commission addresses the matter, he intends to attend and, in his capacity as a City Councillor, will call for suspension or revocation of their license.
According to Frank, most of the city’s numerous social clubs function appropriately as private establishments with established membership rolls. He suggested that the current situation warrants summoning all social clubs before the Council to examine their individual operating policies.
“I think maybe we need to ask the social clubs across the city about their policies,” Frank stated. “Most of them in my district – except for the French Club – have a very strict policy. At most of them, unless you’re a member, you don’t go inside. That may be off-putting to some, but it’s how these clubs are legally supposed to operate.” Social clubs were once tremendously popular throughout the city, with thousands maintaining memberships. Yet as demographics shifted and cultural attitudes evolved, these clubs declined in popularity. While some remain small and close-knit and others—such as the St. Andrew’s Club—have ceased to exist entirely, several have transformed struggling clubs into entertainment destinations.