The legendary Capital Club is saying adieu to Silicon Valley.
The exclusive club that drew the who’s who of San Jose to network, party and plan the city’s future will close its doors on New Year’s Eve. The 34-year-old club announced the closure on Tuesday in a letter to its members, explaining the decision “reflects the current circumstances that have affected our operations in the post-COVID-era.”
The letter also said the club’s last day concludes its lease with The Jay Paul Company, which owns the building in downtown San Jose and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The club was founded in 1990 and offers rooftop views of downtown San Jose, paired with platters of tender prime New York steak and martinis. It will be replaced by software company The Trade Desk, which will rent the roughly 17,000 square feet the club occupies on the 17th floor at 50 W. San Fernando St., according to the Mercury News.
@sanjosespotlight The legendary Capital Club is saying adieu to Silicon Valley. The exclusive club that drew the who’s who of San Jose to network, party and plan the city’s future will close its doors on New Year’s Eve. San José Spotlight spoke to staff and members about why the club was so special. Read the full story at SanJoseSpotlight.com. #sanjose #siliconvalley #capitalclub
Nicole Lecheler, Capital Club director of membership and member experience, said the club’s management is grateful for the community’s support over the years.
“It has been an honor to be a part of so many memorable experiences, and we are grateful for the relationships we’ve built along the way,” she told San José Spotlight. “We remain proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and we wish everyone the best in their future endeavors.”
Larry Stone, a longtime member and Santa Clara County tax assessor, joined the club about six months after it first opened its doors. He pays about $260 a month in membership fees and said one of his favorite memories was when he dined there with former President Bill Clinton, who was in town for former San Jose Mayor and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta’s celebration of life.
But Stone said the club has gone downhill in recent years, with membership declining and constant changes in management. He said one of the club’s premier spots, The Founder’s Room, has been closed for months. The club has also been accused of unfair wages.
“My wife and I had been there where there was only another couple there,” Stone told San José Spotlight. “You go to those particular clubs, you know, because of the camaraderie.”
Some club members said they feel left in the dark about the decision.
Former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, who joined the club in 2003 and sits on its board, said management didn’t communicate the impending closure at the recent board meetings he attended. He said he’s shocked by the decision and wishes the club’s parent company — Texas-based Invited Clubs — had reached out to individual members who could have helped out. He said membership was increasing after losing about half the club’s members during the height of the pandemic.
Invited Clubs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gonzales said his favorite dish from the menu has been the lobster roll. He’s most worried about the employees who will lose their jobs, but added there’s a business opportunity for someone to offer a place for club members to gather again after the closure.
“The Capital Club is more than a membership organization. It’s a family there,” he told San José Spotlight. “We watch people mature through their careers and lives and become very close friends.”
The Capital Club has been a space where renowned business leaders rub shoulders. After the closure, there won’t be a similar location in downtown San Jose to strike deals while looking out the city skyline.
Leah Toeniskoetter, CEO of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, said the closure is a shame. She held her first chamber event there three weeks into her tenure and said there’s nothing like it.
“The Capital Club has been a center of networking, of business activity, of just lunch and relationships for so long,” she told San José Spotlight. “We’re really disheartened. It’s a beautiful space.”
The club will host a New Year’s Eve dinner beginning at 6 p.m. followed by a masquerade ball from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Story updated Dec. 4 at 4:44 p.m. Original story published Dec. 4 at 10:11 a.m.
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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