Fresno is about to get a new members-only club. We went inside the experience

There is a theme that runs throughout the marketing for PM Lounge.

It’s the “power of unreasonable hospitality.”

That’s a direct quote from the lead server, at the end of a tasting meal given to media in advance of the ultra-exclusive members-only club’s opening in mid November at Cedar and Nees avenues in northeast Fresno.

The media event, which The Fresno Bee attended as a guest, was designed to mimic the vibe, if not the specific service, one might find at the lounge. It included a meet-and-greet with the lounge’s director of operations and PR team, plus a preview menu from executive chef Charles Armenta.

Armenta is Fresno native and Michelin-trained executive chef who’s certified at 8,000 hours through the American Chef Federation. His resume includes stints at the Park 55 Hotel in San Francisco and his own restaurant in the city’s Castro District. Most recently, he did work at the Fresno Rescue Mission.

What’s on the menu at PM Lounge?

The chef’s menu for the day was elevated dining: a watermelon consomme with rose water and basil caviar; mini-bite-sized lobster and caviar tacos with avocado mousse and creme fraiche; an Iberian pork secreto; bison wellington; and a golden moonbeam ice cream dessert.

“Our food is California heritage,” said Armenta, addressing the table after the meal.

That means locally sourced. The melons came from Firebaugh. Edible flowers were bought from a vendor in Clovis.

“I am really excited to bring this kind of food here.”

The lounge brought in a beverage director who has created a menu of craft cocktails (mocktails for media day) and specialty drinks. That will complement a 34-foot wine wall that houses some 800 bottles, and serves as a kind of visual draw that delineates the space.

Membership has its privileges

PM Lounge isn’t simply an upscale dining club. It’s aiming for a personalized, curated experience.

So, for example, members don’t have to eat off the menu, says Gilbert Quesada, the lounge’s director of operations.

“If we have ingredients in the building and you want a BLT, we’re going to make you a BLT,” he says.

“I am going to give you spaghetti and meatballs if you want it.”

That sort of anticipation of wants is the business plan.

And it extends beyond the food and drink.

Membership to the lounge comes with access to the 16,000-square-foot building, which once housed the reptile store Lost Realms. Along with the dining room, there are four private suites and a 500 square-foot performance stage, where the lounge plans for host at least four concerts each year. It isn’t saying exactly who might be on the list of performers, but its PR team recently attended a meeting at Snapchat headquarters where there was a private concert from Machine Gun Kelly.

There may be gaming consoles installed. Or an F1 racing simulator.

There will be a concierge service.

“It’s member driven,” Quesada says.

“We’re going to curate what they want. Do they want private jet service? Do they want a personal shopper?”

Fresno’s high-end clientele

Quesada has been in hospitality for nearly 50 years. He worked at Harris Ranch in the 1980s; was the guy with the idea to have hot dog carts and window washes for the cars coming in off Interstate 5. He also owned a chain of quick-service chinese restaurants and opened Fresno’s Dai Bai Dang at a just-developing River Park Shopping Center in 1999.

“I’ve always known Fresno was a little gold mine.”

He has seen the city grow and change over the years and say there is a demographic of people in town who can afford this level of luxury and will be happy to pay for it — if just for the convenience of not having to leave town for the experience.

In fact, the lounge is being bankrolled by a local company (it wishes to remain anonymous) because its owners wanted the experience without the travel, Quesada says.

“They have means, and they know what they are looking for,” he says.

“We want to bring LA to Fresno. We want to bring Vegas to Fresno.”

Fear of missing out

Fresno also has any number of hometown celebrities, Quesada says, rattling off the names like Lorenzo Neal, Josh Allen and the Carr brothers, Derek and David.

All have connections to the Fresno area and often visit. When they do, Quesada wants them at the lounge.

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a real thing and “that’s going to be huge at the lounge,” says Becca Brazil, with the PR group Only1 Media.

But it won’t be an influencer space, either. There will be no photos allowed inside the lounge.

Membership fees, short on details

The company isn’t sharing exact pricing or details, yet, but there will be a monthly membership fee that will grant access to the club during business hours, which runs until midnight daily. That includes up to three guests, though some events (the concerts for example) will be strictly members only.

Membership will eventually be capped at 800, but will be less than that to start. It will grow as the business builds its offerings. There is currently an interest list available through its website. Some 250 people have already expressed major interest, Quesada says.

PM Lounge’s grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 14 and 15.

This version was edited to reflect a change in the grand-opening date.

This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 5:30 AM.