MID-DAY CLUB

The MID-DAY CLUB opened on the 21st floor of the Union Trust (Huntington Bank) Bldg. in 1924 as Cleveland's largest private luncheon facility. Incorporated by 1928, the club reserved membership for businessmen and professional men who were members of other private clubs. In 1986 membership was automatically granted to all who are members of the GREATER CLEVELAND GROWTH ASSN. Committed to the development of downtown Cleveland, the Growth Assn., formerly known as the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, sought to attract the "proper elements" to the city. As the social affiliate of the Chamber of Commerce, the Mid-Day Club provided fertile ground for the city's growth by bringing together men with political, business, and other interests who might not otherwise associate. The first officers of the club were Alex Brown, president; Elton Hoyt II, vice-president; Allard Smith, secretary; and Carl Osborne, treasurer. Like the private clubs originating in England, the Mid-Day Club originally was for men only, permitting women, accompanied by their husbands, by invitation only. Women were accepted, as guests only, in 1971, and even then only after 2:30 P.M. on weekdays. By the mid-1980s, the club was open weekdays to serve its members breakfast and lunch. In 1991, however, it was converted into a privately owned restaurant, the Metropolitan, and opened to the public.