In an area with an ever-growing corporate scene full of industry kingpins and quiet shopping luxuries, Collin County seems to have a gap in exclusive social services that requires business types to travel south of 635.
The Legacy corridor, with Legacy West and North shopping centers and the cross-section of Frisco, McKinney and The Colony nearby, desires more than country clubs and chamber events for social meeting places, Legacy Social Club Managing Director Ryan Thomas says.
Legacy Social Club is a private, membership-based club that aims to provide a third place for movers and shakers to meet, eat and be entertained.
“We identified a need in the market,” Thomas says. “You have an affluent customer base, you have a growing corporate destination, but a lot of the spaces people go to are very high traffic. It makes it harder to have an intimate, personalized experience.”
The 20,000 square feet is divided into six distinct environments — four for intuitive gathering and two for more structured experiences. The Lounge, with high ceilings, warm wood tones and green accents, is set up for intimate conversations. The Wild Orchid’s flower motifs and cafe-like seating were designed with women in mind — think mahjong nights, mixology classes and literary salons. In direct contrast, The Arena is a sports bar made for watch parties and fantasy league drafts — all leather and TV-focused.
“You come for an occasion,” Thomas says. “You want that loungy, intimate feel — or you want to come watch the game and be part of that energy.”
Club management intends for the club to be more than the space it is in. “Programming” includes large-scale parties, curated tastings, wellness workshops, a speaker series and recurring gatherings.
The Foundry serves as the club’s main event space, made for chef’s dinners, poker nights, wine tastings and “whatever else members can think up.”
The Restaurant, with similar Baroque vaulted ceilings, is a contemporary American eatery featuring crafted martinis, fresh seafood, prime-cut steaks and hand-rolled sushi. Think date nights or client dinners.
“It’s not just a restaurant, it’s not just a bar,” Director of Membership, Brand and Culture Taylor Ashing says.
“We are constantly putting on events — small and large — to bring community together.”
The goal is not exclusivity, Ashing says.
“They don’t want to be seen — they want to be known.”
Membership is being rolled out gradually, with the team aiming to see how people actually use the space in order to find the balance between “busy and buzzing.”
“We want there to be energy,” Ashing says. “But we also want people to actually be able to use what they’ve invested in.”
While applications are already being approved, each has been reviewed toward building a community of “pacesetters,” Thomas says, rather than a collection of executives or elites.
“They’re people who are making things happen in their lives,” he says.
There are two levels of membership: social and executive.
The social membership level has a $5,000 initiation fee and a $350 monthly cost for individuals or a $7,500 initiation fee and a $525 monthly fee for couples. This level includes access to shared club spaces, invitations to programming and events, the ability to bring guests, access to concierge services and reservations and the ability to sponsor new member candidates.
At the executive membership level, the initiation fee is $20,000 for four members with a $250 monthly fee per member. This level of membership includes all of the social membership privileges, plus branded meeting setups, audio and visual presentation support and preferred pricing on private event bookings.
While Legacy Social Club was originally slated to open in March, construction delays put the estimated opening at late summer. However, Ashing has already curated events for approved members at alternative locations, aiming to continue the community element while waiting for the design to be completed.
“There’s a missed opportunity for personalization in a lot of clubs,” Thomas says. “We want this to feel warm and welcoming.”
