Soho House agrees to go private again in a deal led by hotel giant MCR

NEW YORK (AP) — After a shaky four years on Wall Street, Soho House is ready to go private again.

The luxury members club operator has struck a deal with an investor group led by hotel giant MCR, which will buy its outstanding shares for $9 each in cash. Soho House’s Executive Chairman Ron Burkle and other big shareholders will roll over their stakes and retain control of the business, per a Monday announcement from the company.

The take-private offer implies a total enterprise value of roughly $2.7 billion for Soho House, including debt. The company says it expects to complete the deal by the end of 2025, pending the regulatory greenlight and other closing conditions. If approved, the transaction means Soho House will stop trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Shares of Soho House climbed more than 15% by mid-morning Monday, following news of Soho House signing the agreement.

Among other big names to join Soho House’s future leadership is actor and now tech investor Ashton Kutcher, who is set to join the company’s board following the deal’s completion. Tyler Morse, CEO of New York-based MCR, will also join the board as Vice Chairman.

In a statement, Morse said that MCR had “long admired” Soho House and that its investment in the company “represents a strategic opportunity to combine our operational expertise with one of the most distinctive brands in hospitality.”

Soho House CEO Andrew Carnie pointed to the club’s growth over the years, and said that returning to private ownership will help the company “build on this momentum.”

Soho House’s roots date back to 1995, starting with a single club in London opened by founder Nick Jones. But today, the company’s footprint includes 46 Soho House locations worldwide, in addition to a handful of coworking spaces, beach clubs and digital platforms.

Soho House describes itself as a “global membership platform of physical and digital spaces.” It bills its flagship clubs — which include spas, gyms and other luxury amenities — as a “home for creative people to come together and belong.” Known for attracting celebrities and other figures with deep pockets, membership fees often rack up to at least several thousand dollars a year.

Soho House had more than 270,000 total members as of the end of June. And the company has reported an uptick in revenue during recent quarters. In earnings announced earlier this month, Soho House said had a total of it raked in $329.8 million in total revenues for its second fiscal quarter, an 8.9% jump year-over-year.

Despite recent growth, the company’s stock has tumbled during its time on the public market. Since Soho House began trading in 2021, its stock has fallen roughly 30%, trading at under $9 a share on Monday. That’s down from $14 a share that the company debuted in its July 2021 initial public offering.