When longtime Tao Hospitality Group executive Bryce Clarke first visited Park City, he didn’t expect it to inspire a career shift. But after years of returning for weekends and holidays, getting to know Main Street business owners and eventually relocating from Las Vegas, Clarke is now launching a winter-long pop-up lounge and nightclub concept he hopes fills a gap in Park City’s nightlife. The result? The Velvet Room “Beneath The Cabin” — now open in the lower level of the Main Street bar, planned to run through April through a partnership with The Cabin — a testament to Clarke’s vision for town.  The founder’s winding road to Park City and opening the Velvet Room begins with a childhood on the Gold Coast beaches of Queensland, Australia, where he started his career in hospitality working on cruise ships. “I started at the bottom. I started as a busboy,” Clarke remembers. He worked his way up to a food and beverage manager role, and later a position at a corporate office in the cruise industry.  “And then the Tao group poached me because they were looking for somebody to run their new restaurant in Las Vegas back in 2006 and they were looking for somebody with high-volume luxury experience,” Clarke said. “So I moved from Australia to Las Vegas, and I was there for 16 years.” While living in Nevada, Clarke visited Park City for Christmas with his two dogs and was struck immediately by the sense of community. “I just bar hopped around, and everybody that I sat next to at the bar were locals, and just so friendly,” he said. “From that moment onwards, I just fell in love with the city and the community and the people and because you just don’t get that in Las Vegas.” He began returning regularly, renting a second residence and spending as much time as possible in town while continuing his role as vice president of event operations for Tao Group’s Las Vegas and Chicago venues. Those trips made him increasingly focused on the idea of starting something local. Bryce Clarke is the founder of the Velvet Room lounge and nightclub on Main Street. He said the concept is built around intimacy, luxury and comfort. Credit: Photo courtesy of Spiro Photos “I met a lot of people in business on Main Street, and from that moment onwards, I just kept on thinking about what I could do up here and how could I get to Park City,” he said. Those early impressions led him to daydream about opening a venue that matched the style of nightlife he enjoyed but could not find in town. He said that despite Park City’s popularity, the luxury nightlife sector is limited. “What got me thinking initially of what to do here was, I couldn’t find what I enjoy to do when I go out,” he said. “There really is not a lot of luxury experiences on Main Street, so just throughout my time up here, I just missed it and I thought, ‘OK, if I can’t find it, I’ll build it.’” Eventually, Clarke made the move, quitting his job, selling his house and relocating to the Wasatch Back full time, without a plan in place. He’d hoped to take the winter off and enjoy skiing, but quickly his early community connections led to an opportunity. “This opportunity to partner with The Cabin partners kind of fell on my lap, and so I threw away my plans to be a ski bum for the winter,” Clarke said with a laugh. “Within six weeks, from agreeing to partner, to opening the doors — it all happened so quickly.” For those who have visited The Cabin’s “Den” in the basement, Clarke’s project has completely transformed the space. And the outcome is a vision come to life. “The minute I walked into the space, I envisaged exactly what I’ve just created. The bones of the building and the space are perfect for exactly what I wanted,” he said. The Velvet Room is built around the idea of intimacy, luxury and comfort, with red velvet drapery, low lighting, vintage furnishings, lounge seating and a center bar. The food menu includes charcuterie, flatbreads, shrimp cocktail and caviar, with an emphasis on table service. There’s also an extensive wine-by-the-glass list, champagnes from the Louis Roederer portfolio and a back bar stocked with premium Diageo spirits.  Credit: Photo courtesy of Spiro Photos Credit: Photo courtesy of Spiro Photos The Velvet Room Beneath The Cabin on Main Street transforms the lower level, formerly known as the Den, into an intimate lounge and nightclub. Clarke said true service is key to bringing Velvet Room to life. “It’s all about, for me, service and genuine hospitality,” he said. “From the minute they walk in the door to the minute they leave, the service is anticipated. … The staff are one step ahead, where people just feel like they are being taken care of and receiving that standard of service.” Reducing the occupancy is one way they’re achieving that quality, capping the space around 200 people. Almost half of those are reserved for members, an already popular program meant to address the impact of crowds on Main Street in the winters. “Another issue I found up here was you just couldn’t get in anywhere,” he said. “So I created the membership program to give the members access so they don’t have to line up in the cold. They can come straight through their own entry and straight into the venue.” Seasonal and weekly membership options guarantee entry, provide priority access and, at the highest tier, include black car service and a private alcove stocked with premium spirits. Local hotels may also purchase concierge memberships to offer guests a guaranteed entry to the Main Street lounge on a peak Friday night.  Having those memberships is another level of accountability on the quality of the brand, Clarke said. “We’re not going to rack them and pack them and stack them in just to get that sale, and we’re not going to deviate from the dress code, and we’re not going to deviate from the standards,” he said. “So these members that are purchasing can comfortably know that they’re purchasing to an exclusive environment.” The venue is open Wednesday through Sunday starting at 3 p.m., and Clarke designed programming for different audiences throughout the week. Wednesday evenings feature Sessions, a collaborative live music format modeled after studio sessions. Thursdays host Plush, focused on jazz and soul. On Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 8 p.m. through January, Kate Chanson Cabaret performs full cabaret shows. Rotating DJs take over late on weekend nights, catering to younger patrons out on Main Street. Sundays feature Sundowner, a higher-energy après-ski-style event with “beats, bumps and bubbles” from 3 to 8 p.m. Outside those programmed windows, guests can relax in the lounge or sit at the back bar. Last Wednesday’s grand opening offered a preview of Kate Chanson Cabaret, with complete shows Friday and Saturday night at the full venue. Credit: Photo courtesy of Spiro Photos “The idea for the Velvet Lounge from that 3 to 9 period is to cater to those guests, or those locals in town that don’t want to be out on Main Street late at night and don’t want to deal with the crowds,” Clarke said. “They can come in here and they can relax earlier in the evening and sort of get home by a reasonable hour.” Clarke also said he plans to host “Velvet Knights,” evenings that appeal to LGBTQ+ guests, whether visitors and locals, and the first event will be Dec. 18 at 9 p.m. with music by DJ Audio Delivery out of Dallas, Texas. The concept stems from another need he discovered in Park City.  “Over the time that I was up here, I would talk to people, and they would rave about the one opportunity to cater to that audience is the gay ski weekend. There’s nothing here, and Salt Lake is obviously there, but it’s the typical gay bars,” he said. “‘I need to build something that is classy, where people can feel comfortable wearing a suit or dressing up and mingling with the same sort of crowd.” Ultimately, Clarke wants the Velvet Room to offer a reliable, refined and comfortable alternative to other nightlife options on Main Street. And from early feedback, he’s well on his way. “We’re hearing a lot of ‘Park City really needs a place like this,’ and I’m both honored and excited to deliver that in a community that has welcomed me and my vision with open arms,” he said. “This is about catering to a clientele that loves good music and good wine and wants those things in a relaxed but refined setting.” Clarke said he is looking for opportunities to drop his anchor, making the Velvet Room a more permanent fixture after the pop-up concludes this spring. “People are already approaching me about moving into bigger spaces and expanding,” he said. “People love what I’m doing and they want it in their building.” To reserve seats and check the calendar of events, follow the Velvet Room on Instagram @velvetroomparkcity. For membership inquiries, email [email protected]. The post Velvet Room founder fills a need in Park City’s nightlife appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less