Like clockwork every year, my sister and I dress up in our most conservative clothes we own, roll our eyes, and jump in the car with our parents to drive to the Petroleum Club for a Christmas time feast with the grandparents. The Petroleum Club is the restaurant/banquet center on the top of skyscraper in Houston. The name says it all—it is a club for current and ex-oil businessmen. It started as a club where men in the 1950’s could take their associates and clients out for a nice business lunch or woo them at a fancy dinner party. The decor is classic but a little old and the food is fancy but boring. My grandparents love it though. Why? Because it is exactly the same as it was 30 years ago. It’s the same group of good ‘ole boys on the board and their favorite part is there is a dance floor. Of course this is not the dance floors of my generation, it is very PG. There is always a man with a synthesizer playing some sort of waltz or foxtrot, or if things are getting really spicy, he may play a samba. All the old ladies set down their fur coats and join their husbands on the floor.
The majority of the clubs members are at least legally seniors, however there are a few younger ones. I believe this is only because they want the ability to kiss up to their bosses. Thus, this type of business club is only really liked by a (sadly) dying generation. The generation now is used to a plethora of choices for their clubs, restaurants, bars, social activities and so on. A young business man or woman now with newly disposable income does not want to pay a club fee every month to go to a restaurant that serves the same steak and buttery potatoes every night. This generation wants to try out all the new, hip restaurants. This generation is willing to stand in line for an hour to get into the hottest club. And most importantly, this generation (again, sadly) does not know how to do the fox trot.
So where does that leave the Petroleum Club and other social clubs like it? They must change with the times and market a new kind of club. However, this will not be easy as the club has been doing the same thing for the last 40 years. Also, I think the management of the Petroleum Club is not even aware that their customer base is rapidly declining. It is common for business to be so caught up in how much they like their product, they forget to really check into their customers and see if they are satisfied.
As a member of the younger generation myself, I have a couple suggestions for the club. First, they need to change the decor. I’m not suggesting a completed overhaul that would leave the club looking like a wannabe hipster establishment. I’m just suggesting that it remove the gaudy gold and red theme and create something a little younger. Also, they need to change the menu and change it often. My grandparents generation objects to choices and always talks about returning to the good ‘ole days when there was only one type of laundry detergent and the neighborhood butcher picked out their cuts of meat for them. On the contrary, the new generation does not like to be stuck in a rut. The Petroleum clubs needs to offer more innovative menus that change often and cater to the newbie member’s taste buds. Thirdly, they need to create a different line of events for its members. Instead of dance club parties, they could host wine tasting events and cater golf tournaments. Finally, they need to slowly try to market themselves in a new way. It’s important that they advertise that they are not just a stuffy club for men of ages past. Hopefully, the management of the Petroleum Club can see the changes coming their way and can see the big picture.
The majority of the clubs members are at least legally seniors, however there are a few younger ones. I believe this is only because they want the ability to kiss up to their bosses. Thus, this type of business club is only really liked by a (sadly) dying generation. The generation now is used to a plethora of choices for their clubs, restaurants, bars, social activities and so on. A young business man or woman now with newly disposable income does not want to pay a club fee every month to go to a restaurant that serves the same steak and buttery potatoes every night. This generation wants to try out all the new, hip restaurants. This generation is willing to stand in line for an hour to get into the hottest club. And most importantly, this generation (again, sadly) does not know how to do the fox trot.
So where does that leave the Petroleum Club and other social clubs like it? They must change with the times and market a new kind of club. However, this will not be easy as the club has been doing the same thing for the last 40 years. Also, I think the management of the Petroleum Club is not even aware that their customer base is rapidly declining. It is common for business to be so caught up in how much they like their product, they forget to really check into their customers and see if they are satisfied.
As a member of the younger generation myself, I have a couple suggestions for the club. First, they need to change the decor. I’m not suggesting a completed overhaul that would leave the club looking like a wannabe hipster establishment. I’m just suggesting that it remove the gaudy gold and red theme and create something a little younger. Also, they need to change the menu and change it often. My grandparents generation objects to choices and always talks about returning to the good ‘ole days when there was only one type of laundry detergent and the neighborhood butcher picked out their cuts of meat for them. On the contrary, the new generation does not like to be stuck in a rut. The Petroleum clubs needs to offer more innovative menus that change often and cater to the newbie member’s taste buds. Thirdly, they need to create a different line of events for its members. Instead of dance club parties, they could host wine tasting events and cater golf tournaments. Finally, they need to slowly try to market themselves in a new way. It’s important that they advertise that they are not just a stuffy club for men of ages past. Hopefully, the management of the Petroleum Club can see the changes coming their way and can see the big picture.
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