The PM Lounge is a members-only social club opening next month in north Fresno. With an acclaimed chef and luxury offerings, the owners aim to make a splash. PM Lounge rendering/Photos by Ben Hensley

A local group has been working for more than five years to bring their brand of luxury to Fresno with a private social club featuring entertainment and a dining experience with a Michelin Star pedigree.

The PM Lounge plans to kick off Nov. 14-15 with a two-day grand opening event for members only.

The team behind the PM Lounge hosted an event for local print media members on Sept. 10. It wasn’t hosted at the 16,000 square-foot PM Lounge location at 8059 Cedar Ave. near Herndon Avenue. A business office served as a stand-in for the atmosphere, food and service to be expected at the PM Lounge.

After receiving handcrafted mocktails, attendees were served a five-course meal in a room styled to match the ambiance of the lounge itself.

 

Mannequins with the staff uniforms were on display, adorned with brown paisley vests and ties for servers and black, lacy cocktail dresses for hosts. Servers wore the brown paisley for the media day.

Courses included lobster and caviar tacos, roasted Iberian pork with pineapple salsa and a choice of bison Wellington or tomahawk steak.

For dessert, “Golden Moonbeam Ice Cream” under a golden chocolate dome over a bed cake with hot caramel poured over.

Yes, Master Chef

The meal was prepared by the club’s own Master Chef, Fresno native Charles Armenta. Armenta is certified as a Master Chef by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) with more than 8,000 hours of culinary experience, including at Michelin restaurants and around the globe.

“He’s classically French trained, so his basis will be French cuisine. However, traveling around the world, you get a lot of exposure working with different chefs,” said Gilbert Quesada, PM Lounge director of operations.

 

In addition to a culinary experience, plans call for entertainment for members. Quesada said they plan to have about four private concerts a year with well-known artists depending on member demand. 

The goal of the PM Lounge is to create an exclusive experience, whether that be handcrafted drinks, elk tacos or simple sandwiches. If they have it, they will make it happen for you, they said.

“I want to create an atmosphere and an environment where you have the luxury lifestyle, and I’m going to give you spaghetti and meatballs if you want it,” Quesada said.  

Exclusive list

The club already has more than 200 membership applications, with a cap at 800 members. The membership fee was not disclosed. Each member may bring up to three guests each visit. 

Apart from country clubs, there haven’t been many members-only clubs in the Central Valley as seen in places like San Francisco or the Bay Area. 

The Downtown Club on Kern Street in Downtown Fresno operated for more than 30 years. The member-only restaurant closed in 2013. 

Local businessmen Michael Walstad and Nicholas Crawford are the owners behind the exclusive club, according to public records. Walstad is the president of Employers Outsourcing in Fresno. Crawford was the former owner of Lost Realms Pets in the same location as the PM Lounge.