The Flatiron-based private club pairs non-alcoholic hospitality with wellness and social programming, discounts to NYC’s hottest fitness brands and a robust dining experience
It’s no secret that New York’s social scene has long revolved around alcohol, with bars and restaurants making up much of the concrete jungle. The Maze, an alcohol-free members club in Flatiron, is attempting to build an alternative model, one that retains the structure of traditional social spaces while removing alcohol from the equation.
Unlike many other wellness-focused clubs or communities, which replaced alcohol with expensive breathwork classes or IV drips, The Maze has a simpler hypothesis. Connection and community can function as the primary draw, rather than alcohol.
The club operates with familiar components: dining, bar service, programming and membership access. The Maze is positioning its offering at the intersection of sober curiosity, wellness and third-space social infrastructure, categories that have all seen accelerated consumer interest in recent years.
“We’re not just removing alcohol, we’re reimagining what it means to belong,” founder Justin Gurland told Athletech News during a visit to The Maze. “We’re excited to bring The Maze to the city, offering a welcoming space where people can pursue more meaningful experiences, supporting intentional living and personal growth. It’s a place where you can thrive without the pressures of traditional socializing, embracing a lifestyle centered around mindfulness and purpose.”
Gurland, a 17-year-sober entrepreneur and licensed Master Social Worker, developed the concept from personal experience.
Located at 43 West 24th Street, The Maze spans roughly 4,600 square feet, blending hospitality with flexible social space. The layout includes a full dining room, café and coffee bar, lounge seating and private event areas designed to accommodate both large gatherings and smaller group experiences. During a walkthrough, Gurland emphasized that the physical design was intentionally fluid, allowing the club to function differently throughout the day.
“The room is flexible in the sense that tables can move,” he said. “People can work here during the day. We can play with it as much as we want.”
While the alcohol-free bar is the headline differentiator, food plays a central operational role. The Maze’s food and beverage program was developed in partnership with Tom Colicchio, a well-known chef and co-founder of the Gramercy Tavern in NYC.
“The food is so important to what we do because it really gets people here, gets people together,” he said,” adding that the culinary program was designed to feel accessible and repeatable rather than niche.
“The idea behind the menu really was somewhere you could eat three, four times a week,” he added, describing the offering as familiar, social and conducive to regular gathering.
The Maze arrives as sober curiosity reshapes hospitality and nightlife, especially among Gen Z, and as drinking rates in the U.S. reach historic lows. Non-alcoholic spirits, functional beverages and alcohol-free bars have moved from fringe to mainstream, but Gurland believes the deeper shift is behavioral rather than product-driven.
“I read something recently that kind of messed with my head a little bit,” Gurland said. “Alcohol is objectively bad for your body, but there’s a social aspect that alcohol provides that is really healthy. It gets you out of the house. It’s somewhere to go.”
The club is designed to replicate that activation without the substance. Gurland’s perspective is informed by years working in addiction and recovery settings.
“Clients of mine that rebuilt their communities, made new friends, did better than people that didn’t,” he said. “There’s still not really the place to go when you think, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing tonight, but I don’t want to stay home.’”
Rather than relying on traditional nightlife traffic, The Maze operates as a programming-driven club, using events to catalyze interaction. Offerings span breathwork, meditation, sound baths and wellness workshops alongside sports watch parties, holiday gatherings and ticketed social events.
Membership perks include special rates and events with Othership, Chelsea Piers Fitness (Flatiron), Ora, Nrthrn Strong, and more.
“We know we have 20- and 30-somethings that want to come here and party, have caffeine and dance,” he said. “Then we also have people that want meditation.”
The club currently has just over 160 members, spanning ages 24 to 64, with the core demographic clustering in their 30s.
Membership is priced at $3,300 annually plus a $1,500 initiation fee, aligning with private-club economics while remaining below many legacy hospitality memberships. Corporate memberships are also emerging as a growth lever.
“There’s never been the place to go where you don’t know what your night’s going to look like, but you know it’ll be meaningful,” Gurland said. “I hope it becomes a home where everyone feels welcome, while helping reimagine how people gather in New York and beyond.”
