Exclusive men’s club is first of its kind on North Shore
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – The ownership of the new Kingsmen Social Club in Slidell likes to call their beautifully renovated home away from home “a country club without the golf course.”
And if early response to the Kingsmen Social Club is any indication, the interest in bringing a men’s organization such as this to Slidell was long overdue. With plans to hold membership to 100, the club already had 65 members signed up when they officially opened their doors for the first time a week ago.
Four local businessmen put together the idea for the club after seeing similar private clubs for men in other major cities.
That led to Shane Songy, Elwin Ordoyne, III, Patrick Haggerty and Shawn Breaud becoming co-owners for the Kingsmen Social Club, aided by a dozen other men who all put up an initial investment that has them called the founders. They include Joe Julian, Luke Irwin, Jeff Schaff, Alan Bouterie, Spencer Sens, Jason Horne, Rob Damare, Mike Matt, Chad Perez, Steve Burke, Glen Neal, and Alan Boudain.
After Songy originally purchased the building at the corner of Robert Street and Second Street for an investment, the former location of many years for the Hair Port, the building is now owned by Songy, Ordoyne and Breaud, while the four men are owners of Kingsmen 353 to operate the club.
With Ordoyne’s experience as a contractor, the building was completely renovated to create an incredible club that has most everything men would want in a social setting, short of a wife or a girlfriend.
After entering the property through a black, wrought iron fence, you encounter a front door that is still not getting you inside the club. At that point you are in a small room lined with bookshelves on three sides, and once you are a member, you put in a pass code that opens a hidden door to actually enter the club.
On the inside it is clear that no expense was spared to make the five-room club as relaxing and inviting as can be. The Kings Room is the first place you encounter, with a quiet atmosphere to enjoy a drink or conversation with friends, decorated with the owner and founder pictures on the walls.
The second room, one of the largest, has a spectacular bar set up from one side of the room to the other, with plenty of bartenders to serve any cocktail or adult beverage you might have in mind.
Enter the Queen’s Room next, with more luxurious chairs, and of course, pictures of famous queens all over the walls—even Freddy Mercury from the band Queen.
A billiard room is next, with a shuffleboard table, followed by a fifth room with a large card table set up. Most of the rooms also have TV’s hanging on the walls with lots of sports always playing, while two luxurious bathrooms are on either side of the building.
As if that isn’t enough, the back of the building exits to a fantastic outdoor patio that has a cornhole game to the side, plus complete privacy from the outside with a spacious area for more partying and fun. Live music is included on special nights.
Songy said he had seen social clubs in other cities, and always had an idea in the back of his head about opening one in Slidell, after he moved here two years ago. He was already in the hospitality business as owner of the Desi Vega restaurants, plus other business ventures he is part of.
“The attraction for this kind of social club is for men who aren’t young guys anymore and don’t want to go to the usual bar scene where crazy stuff happens.
“Most of us are like-minded and want a comfortable, safe atmosphere to meet friends and have a drink and conversation,” he explained. “We’re past the bar scene, and a social club like this offers exclusivity for those who want to have something special…not to mention the greatest networking situation you could find anywhere with all the businessmen who are members.”
Women and friends of the members are allowed if they come with a member, while additional options are available to allow a wife, friend or other members to attend in a group.
Along with a full-service bar, the Kingsmen Social Club has a complete, fully-operating kitchen during the six days a week they are open. The only day they are closed is Tuesday.
“There is nothing like this on the North Shore—not in Covington or Mandeville, and after I talked with the other three owners, we believed that our individual experiences would work perfectly to make this successful,” Songy noted. “And from the early response, it’s clear this is going to be a very special club.”
Songy said he was in Olde Towne almost two years ago and noticed the for sale sign on the Hair Port building, leading him to purchase it without being sure what he would do with it.
“I saw the location here in Olde Towne and thought it would be great for something, so I bought it as an investment,” he said. “But then I started talking to the other guys and we decided to do the social club instead.”
Songy made it clear that you must agree with the principles of the other Kingsmen if you want to join.
“We are all Christians, and that is an important part of joining—to believe in living that kind of lifestyle, and especially to help others,” he said. “We plan to do a lot of work to support non-profits and donate to charity. We already held our first event the other night and raised $5,000 for breast cancer research.”
Anyone interested in joining has to fill out an application on the website, which will be reviewed by the four owners for a final decision.
“New Orleans has The Boston Club on Canal Street and it is the kind of place I was familiar with, which helped us put this together,” Songy added. “What we promise for those who join here is that you will be able to come to a beautiful place to meet your friends, you will get great service, and get to hang out with incredible guys.”
The cost to be a member includes an initial $500 membership fee that covers administrative costs and Kingsmen merchandise, then $185 per month is the basic fee. A portion of all the monthly dues will go to a charity fund.
“We also plan to have regular events to support the community, like giving away turkeys for Thanksgiving, and a toy drive for Christmas,” he said. “Whatever way we can do something good for Slidell we plan to do it.”
“The beautiful part to all this is that it is exclusive,” Songy said. “Being a Kingsmen should mean something, and that’s how we plan to keep it.”
For more information, go online to:
Kingsmensc.com