The first supper club was established in Beverly Hills, California by Milwaukee, Wisconsin native Lawrence Frank in the 1930s. The period is key, because one event was essential to the supper club’s growth: the end of prohibition. Supper clubs gained notoriety as prohibition roadhouses.

Many of the most iconic supper clubs began in the ‘30s and included large dance floors, live music and banquet halls. They were places to celebrate socializing in public with newly legalized alcohol once again. It was an opportunity to show off your best date-night dress and suit. And, over the course of the evening, taking down a stream of whiskey sours and gin and tonics. Supper was a social event, not just dinner.

The term supper club is undergoing a revival with slightly different meaning – generally a small underground club, often with roving premises which are only revealed to the guests when they buy a ticket. Guests eat from a restricted or set menu and are expected to mingle with other guests whom they may not know.