At private membership club Gravitas on July 23, over 150 people gathered to celebrate the local business and hear from Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian.
The event was the most recent installment of Spotlight with Sharona, Nazarian’s mayoral initiative to highlight the work of small businesses in the city.
At the event, Nazarian emphasized the ways in which bringing people together at locations such as Gravitas underscores the work she hopes to do during her year-long mayoral term.
“My theme for this year is unity,” she said. “It’s bringing our community together, and that’s from all walks of life. It doesn’t just mean for the residents, it means for the businesses, it means for our cultures, it means for all aspects. And so, I’m so excited to be able to celebrate tonight by bringing our businesses together.”
Guests enjoyed charcuterie, drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the club’s front room, which features a full bar as well as 375 temperature-controlled wine lockers. The lockers are located in the Vault, which was converted from the former Wells Fargo vaults in the same location.
The club occupies two floors on North Camden Drive. In addition to the front room, private conference rooms, a podcast studio and a members-only lounge, it features a large open-air garden dining area with a retractable roof and heated floor.
As a nod to the city, the floor’s tiles in the garden area map out Beverly Hills.
The club also offers perks such as chauffeur services, a private elevator entrance, private dining booths with individualized service and more.
Seth Glassman, a managing partner at Gravitas, said that he and founding owner Brandon Steven have had a very good experience setting up shop in Beverly Hills and were thrilled to host the event.
“This is really special,” said Glassman. “The mayor has been so good to us, and the city itself and everyone that we’ve dealt with has been really, really great to us … we’ve had a tremendous first year, and that couldn’t have been possible without the city’s help and getting through all the processes that it takes to get here.”
Glassman noted that he and Steven saw the members-only club sector surging elsewhere and were surprised to discover that Beverly Hills did not have any such businesses.
“You’re talking about a half-mile radius with some of the best retail, some of the best hotels, the best everything,” he said. “So, we felt like if we did it right in the middle of the Golden Triangle, people would be very receptive to it. It’s been great so far, and we’re at the greatest part now because we see the members coming in and enjoying the space, utilizing the space and all our amenities and offerings.”
During her remarks, Nazarian highlighted several other upcoming events. National Night Out, an annual event promoting community and safety, will take place on Aug. 5 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Coffee and Beats, hosted by the city’s young adult group, will be held on Aug. 10 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature music by DJ Anton Khabbaz and coffee from Alfred’s Coffee.
Nazarian also spoke about the importance of sustaining and nurturing local businesses as the fabric of a successful city.
“We recognize the importance of the business community, because we also recognize that it’s a cycle—when our businesses succeed, we succeed, and we are able to support our quality of life,” she said. “That’s what our goal is. We want to make sure to support you in every way that we can.”
The next Spotlight with Sharona will take place on Sept. 10 on South Beverly Drive and will feature businesses along several blocks.
