The members-only Spoke Club has permanently closed in Toronto
One of Toronto's most-prominent members-only clubs (for people who aren't rich white guys over 60) has announced its own demise, leaving many in the city with one less place-they-can't-get-into to hate on.
The Spoke Club, founded in 2004, is officially closed — and not just for renovations, or due to COVID-19 lockdown orders. For good.
Billed as "Toronto's first private members club for individuals with an interest in media, entertainment, innovation and the arts," the venue at 600 King Street West was known mostly for being a gorgeous space.
Obnoxious as some people find the very idea of members-only clubs to be, nobody could argue that The Spoke Club wasn't a beautiful venue for events and parties, complete with multiple floors of plush seating, long bars, dining areas, art displays and one heck of a nice rooftop.
"We truly appreciate the generous support of our members over the past 14 years and will forever cherish the many wonderful memories we made together," reads a message posted to thespokeclub.com.
Wait — 14 years? But it was founded in 2004? There's a reason for the dates not adding up: The Spoke Club, which actually opened its doors in January of 2005, has been closed "temporarily" now since late 2019 for renovations.
One last bash was held on New Years Eve of 2020 at The Spoke Club, just a few months before it would have been forced to shut down temporarily anyway due to the pandemic.
Extensive renovations are ongoing across all of The Spoke Club's floors within the historic Beatty Manufacturing Co. building at 600 King St. W., according to the company, which says the entire space has "been completely redesigned by award-winning Toronto-based firm Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects."
A "completely new private member club with robust membership offering" is scheduled to launch within the space, according to the website, though a launch date of "late 2020" suggests that those plans aren't exactly on track.
