Recently, several small business owners around the city have been receiving mysterious white invitations in the mail. They read, “A new era has begun for the secret supper club,” introduce Society 414 date nights, and say that the date of the first event is this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. That’s it.
Naturally, we needed more information, and so we connected with Liana Hall, a small business manager and industry speaker, who, along with wedding coordinator Michelle Gainey, developed the Society 414 concept. Here, Hall explains what’s the deal with Atlanta’s newest supper club.
How did you come up with the idea for Society 414?
Michelle and I were talking about not having the energy to come up with [new date night ideas] on a regular basis. She had gone to secret supper clubs, and we decided we could make it more of an experience-based secret supper versus food-driven. People are busy. They can sign up and don’t have to plan anything. It’s a great way to get people outside the monotony of going to the same restaurant and the movies.
What kind of entertainment will the events have?
We might have a jazz artist at one or another might have an activity people can do. Maybe one where you can get dirty and have to wear old clothes, or one where someone’s teaching salsa.
Do people know what they’re getting into when they sign up?
You don’t know what the entertainment is going to be. You know the date and time, and sometimes we disclose a general area of town. Tickets are released four weeks before an event. In weeks approaching the event, we post clues: the dress code. (It could be an evening gown, cocktail attire, or jeans). We’ll show people the color palette for the event. Some will be themed (such as dress ‘50s), and people can get really into it. The third clue pertains to what inspired the idea for the event—a poem, a quote from a movie or TV show, or one single word. Our word for this first event is “Fresh.” This is a fresh idea. The last clue is the location, revealed forty-one hours before the event.
Why is it called Society 414?
The idea was born on 4-14, and we will do spotlights for four featured artists (vendors) for each event, one key to each event (more on the website about this), and four elements are part of each event (secret location, transformed environment, inspired cuisine, and entertainment/activity).
How much does it cost to attend?
We’re aiming for $50 to $75 per person. It’s all inclusive: drinks, entertainment, and food. The drinks will be sponsored or BYO. We hope to use local mixologists to create the drinks.
Who’s cooking?
We’ll try to bring in chefs according to their specialty and what they’d like to cook. We want to feature artists from the Southeast. We have people involved from Tennessee for the first event.
How many courses will be served?
It totally ranges. I can see a buffet if we are out in the field somewhere. If we are doing dancing in the city in a formal environment, it might be more conducive to a sit down meal.
When are the events (besides this Thursday)?
Every other month starting in August. We’re (hopefully) upping that possibly to once a month in 2015.
