‘Please Shower’ happy hour: The Union League ushers in a new members-only era at Avalon’s Whitebrier
The dress code will be “relaxed yet refined.”
The Union League’s privatization of Avalon’s storied Whitebrier bar and restaurant will launch Memorial Day weekend with a “Please Shower” happy hour and a “relaxed yet refined” dress code.
It’s a far cry from the sometimes-raucous history of the Avalon institution and a marked shift from (or a knowing wink to) a Jersey Shore culture that celebrates “No Shower” happy hours, encouraging patrons to just roll in from the beach.
Entrance will require a Union League membership, obtainable with a member’s reference, interview, initiation fee, and annual dues ranging in the thousands, according to Billy Penn. (A recent schedule of dues online showed initiation fees ranging from $1,500 to $7,500 and annual dues ranging from $1,868 to $6,227.)
But some things will remain the same: John Tracy, the grandson of former Whitebrier owner Anthony Zurawski, will manage the bar and restaurant for the Union League, according to a letter to members from Union League president Robert Cavalier. Tracy has run the Whitebrier since 2011, the letter said.
Sean Palmer, the Union League’s chief operating officer, declined to comment. Tracy did not return The Inquirer’s messages.
The members-only club dates back to the Civil War, with a headquarters on South Broad Street, but it began amassing a constellation of restaurants and private golf courses outside the city over a decade ago.
“You will notice that much of the property remains as you remember it, familiar and inviting,” Cavalier wrote. “Our long-term vision is to create a generational shore presence — a club for your children and your children’s children.”
The weekend of events was billed as a preview, and Cavalier stated that additional details of the Union League’s Whitebrier era were yet to be shared.
People wanting to go will be carded, in more than one way.
“Access to the Whitebrier will be managed through the Union League app,” members were advised. “Members must present their digital membership card upon arrival.”
Another thing that will be different will be the dress code.
“Attire at the Whitebrier is relaxed yet refined,” Cavalier’s letter stated. “Members and guests are expected to wear neat, resort-style clothing, including appropriate cover-ups over swimwear, in accordance with Union League standards.”
Among the events planned are a Friday open house with music by the Nick Horn Band and an after-party; a Saturday “Please Shower” happy hour, another after-hours party at 9 p.m.; Sunday dining; and a Monday “miss the traffic” trivia event.
On Facebook, the Mark Lewis Trio told their followers they’d booked some gigs at the Whitebrier for this summer and advised: “They are now a private club, so get your application in to join the Union League!!”
The 162-year-old Union League also owns the Bungalow in Stone Harbor, with seating for 32 members, and the Union League National Golf Club in Swainton, Cape May County.