Brooklyn’s New Members Club for Families
A deep dive into The Beginning, a 45,000+ sq. ft. family-focused members club launching in Brooklyn Heights.
About
Little Big Hospitality Overview & Current Investment Opportunity
The Beginning is a purpose-built, multi-floor private club designed exclusively for families in Brooklyn Heights. It blends wellness, childcare, education, and social spaces under a single roof, giving NYC parents a place where work, parenting, and community life coexist seamlessly.
The project spans over 45,000 sq. ft., secured under a uniquely favorable lease structure with five years of free rent, long-term purchasing rights, and attractive terms compared to comparable lifestyle-anchored retail.
What The Beginning Offers
Size & Layout
- 45,000+ sq. ft.
- Multi-floor: restaurant, pub, gym, fitness studios, soft play, screening room, arcade, roof deck (illustrated on page 3)
Lease Terms
- 16-year lease
- First 5 years rent-free
- Right-of-first-offer to purchase building
- Right-of-first-refusal on adjacent property
Programming
- Wellness + fitness
- Childhood enrichment + education
- Co-working and meeting spaces
- Soft play, jungle gym, arcade, bowling alley
- Camps, childcare, and family events
Design
- Contemporary, elevated hospitality feel
- Created by award-winning designers
Membership Model
- ~$300 per adult
- ~$200 per child
- $5,000 initiation fee
- 1,500+ applications in 14 days
The Team
Chris de Koosbr>Scaled a hospitality-tech business to $22M in revenue; former enterprise strategy lead at Vimeo.
Michael Schoenbr>Founder/operator in real estate + co-working; advisor to WME/IMG, WeWork, Glossier on community strategy.
Supporting Team
- F&B veterans
- House & Garden Top-100 designer
- Former private-school board chair overseeing programming
Key Takeaways
$18M project with strong early backing
$6M is already committed from notable investors including a Stockholm family office, David Williams, and Dean Adler.
1,500+ member applications without marketing
Applications came organically from Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and nearby neighborhoods.
Built to solve everyday parenting challenges
Co-working, wellness, childcare, programming, dining, and social life, in one building.
Five-year rent abatement accelerates scale
$14M goes to improvements, $4M to pre-opening/runway. At capacity: 1,200 families → ~$14M annual revenue.
Recordings
The Little Big Hospitality Team
Michael Schoen is Founder and CEO at Little Big Hospitality, where he oversees development and the launch of The Beginning, a family members club scheduled to open in New York in 2026. He is a founding partner of The Schoen Group at Savitt Partners, representing advertising, fashion and creative companies in New York City real estate transactions and leading property identification and lease negotiations. He co-founded A Retail Space, which built a retail site-selection data platform and secured $4M in investment.
Chris de Koos is Co-founder & COO at Little Big Hospitality, where he oversees operations and the launch of The Beginning Clubhouse. He previously led enterprise and North American revenue teams at Vimeo, Triptease and Ravelin, including opening New York operations, hiring and scaling revenue teams, and building go-to-market strategy. He holds a B.A. (Honours) from Queen’s University.