Private membership club HQ DC House opens in Penn Quarter

HQ DC House, a multi-venue membership club, has opened in Penn Quarter at 600 F Street, N.W.

It is owned and operated by The Burns Brothers, a company started by two African American brothers who both left corporate roles to start a number of culture-focused companies. Mike Burns left his job as a corporate executive and John Burns as a law firm partner.

HQ DC House membership club penthouse (Courtesy Daniel Swartz)

HQ DC House membership is open to all, but they say it is designed to be a safe space for Black people and other people of color, and a respite among a like-minded community.

Membership is a one-time initiation fee of $250, then $299 a month. The membership covers all food and drinks, and includes a weekday sedan service to the club within three miles. Members are also allowed to bring up to eight guests per month.

They’ve also partnered with vendors of color.

The HQ DC House membership club lounge (Courtesy Daniel Swartz)

“We wanted a space that actually felt like a home,” said John Burns. “So that’s why each part of the house feels different but still comfortable, welcoming and elevated.”

The club is inside the historic Oriental Building originally constructed in 1910. It was redeveloped in 2012.

HQ DC House membership club retreat (Courtesy Daniel Swartz)

The three spaces include a lounge, a retreat and a penthouse, across floors covering 10,000 square feet.

The club also offers fitness classes and up to 15 events per month.


Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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