The Warrior Club Hidden Inside the Historic St. James Catholic School

Inside the historic St. James Catholic School, built in 1913, a tall, heavy wooden door stands on the second floor, outlined in gold and marked with the words “The Warrior Bar,” crowned by a Spartan emblem. Below, in cursive, it reads “Members Only.” 

Through the door is a tall, handsome young English lad named Christopher Jew in a suit and tie, greeting a member, her son and his girlfriend as they walk in. Jew is not the doorman but the general manager in charge of The Warrior Club. The new private “millionaires” club is designed to offer an exclusive, luxurious experience while also providing each member with a space of solitude.

The general manager, along with the other staff members, is one of the few names shared with members, as the elegant ambiance comes with unwritten rules of discretion for the attorneys, entrepreneurs and other members who fill it with tete-a-tetes. Privacy starts at the front door, which unlocks when a member’s phone is within proximity of the club. Members can sit in the private library, at the bar or in the vault, without worrying about eavesdroppers. Suspended above the bar, three 400-pound noise dampeners absorb the hum of conversation. Even in the evening, when around 20 guests settle in for cocktails and connection, the space retains a calm and confidential tone.

Jew is one of the few nonmembers who walk through the front door. Before moving to Lakewood, his new home, his 21-year career saw him head up a two-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in New York, consult on drink and menu creation in the Maldives and work in a pub back in England.

“I like the way that I have been given the trust within the running of a business that is partially mine, without it being my business,” says Jew, who has been a part of The Warrior Club since the very beginning.

That trust has led Jew and his small staff of three to create a high-end service and culture for members, making the club feel like a home. 

“Every time you arrive, you walk in and you sit down, you are given something for free,” Jew says. “It is our thank you for coming to trust us to spend your money with the club.”

A free item can be a small tasting or a unique cocktail. While Jew knows more than 1,000 cocktails, he has created 12 originals featured on the menu, each reflecting the experience, history and values of the club and the old Catholic school it exists within.

Those who order the St. James ($14) will receive a libation that is equally tropical and boozy, featuring orange and pineapple flavors with a Spanish blend of rhums intended to honor the patron saint of Spain.

The 007 ($14) fits the secrecy of The Warrior Club and nods to James Bond’s signature drink, blending gins, vodkas, vermouths and saline with a hint of dragon fruit, garnished with a champagne vinegar–preserved lemon. 

On the far side of the 21-foot bar, which features an elegant white-and-brown granite counter, a small family sits in one of three lounge areas. Above the bar is a half-circle stained-glass window, in the middle of which runs a wooden trim reading “For God, country, home.”

Just as any home promises privacy, The Warrior Club built that same principle into its design, service and unwritten rules. To become a member of this prestigious club, you have to be invited. Members and staff must share the same core values around trust, confidentiality and respect.

“Every single member of staff will know every single member,” Jew says. “You’ll only ever be known by your first name unless you’re in a situation where other people are there and they don’t know you. We won’t give away your first name.”

Near the entrance sits the barrel room, or “the vault,” as some of the owners call it.

It’s a small, tucked-away room marked by a high arched entryway. Inside, four wooden tables sit against red velvet–lined walls with matching benches beneath. Across from them, light brown leather chairs and wide white stools complete the intimate setting.

The vault serves as a quiet haven for the club’s mix of members, including attorneys, bankers, insurance professionals and small business owners, from landscapers to machinists, who come to seal a deal or simply talk about life, family and politics without the worry of being overheard.

“Members know that if you see someone with somebody you shouldn’t see them with, in a business relationship, you keep it quiet,” says one of the founding members. “It’s unspoken. We don’t have a written set of rules that say, ‘Don’t tell anyone I was here.’ It’s just understood.”  

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