As Soho House revokes memberships to keep patrons feeling special, Sarnie Social will open its club doors to anyone living within its postcode for free, encouraging guests to make friends out of neighbours.
Coursing with the spirit of the supper club, founder Seif El-Sobky’s wish for his upcoming restaurant is to create a private member’s-style community where membership is granted not based on status or who you know, but rather on who you should know.
After giving up his corporate life in Berlin, El-Sobky first entered London’s restaurant scene three years ago as CEO of modern Egyptian City lunch spot, Koshari Street.
El-Sobky said: “I want to create a community wherever our shop is.
“It’s not an exclusive community, it’s not about who can afford to be part of it or who’s cool enough or hot enough or pretty enough — it’s about locality.”
Admission to the club will solely be based on postcode, and members will be invited to supper clubs and other exclusive events.
The birth of Sarnie Social’s concept owes a lot to El-Sobky’s experience gradually getting to know his neighbours after moving to West London with his wife.
He said: “It took us about a year, mostly because there was no catalyst to get us talking to our neighbours awkwardness-free.”
With family-style tables, conversation cards, games and dares, a patron-controlled juke box, and just three meticulously-curated sandwiches on the menu — one of which, aptly named ‘The f*ck it’, features double-fried chicken — Sarnie Social aims to provide guests with the tools and the setting to make new connections.
Currently scouting out a site in Notting Hill, El-Sobky is looking forward to a series of pop-ups, residencies and parties over the winter season, before launching the brick-and-mortar location.
Another key feature of Sarnie Social’s journey is that it’s being broadcast to a buzzing social media audience.
El-Sobky offers an optimistic diagnosis of the capital’s restaurant scene, and is taking his Instagram followers on his journey of assembling the elements of a successful sandwich shop, from menu creation and brand development to setting up a company and securing funding.
He maintains that, despite popular conjecture, London is one of the friendliest environments for gastronomic entrepreneurs.
El-Sobky said: “Everyone says that hospitality is such a tough industry, but there’s nothing particularly tougher about it, if I’m honest.
“I don’t come from the restaurant business — it took me a long time to make the move and take the risk of opening a restaurant.
“I came in with this imposter syndrome. Anyone I’ve met in the industry has been super kind and helpful — there’s such camaraderie.’
Follow Sarnie Social’s journey on Instagram @sarniesocial and on TikTok @sarnie.social.
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