A landmarked bank building that once housed the beloved Blue Water Grill is about to become something entirely different: a social darts destination with room for 309 guests, two bars and a private event room. Flight Club, the U.K.-born darts bar chain, is preparing to open its first New York City location at 31 Union Square West, marking its 12th U.S. venue overall.
A Bank Vault Turned Bull's-Eye
The building at 31 Union Square West was constructed between 1902 and 1903 as the headquarters of the Bank of Metropolis, according to a State of Play Hospitality announcement. It later became a nightclub called Zippers in the early 1980s, then the high-end restaurant Metropolis with a basement club, before Blue Water Grill took over the space in 1996 and ran there for more than two decades. Flight Club will be the site's next chapter, and as reported by Commercial Observer, State of Play Hospitality is aiming to open the doors in late September or early October 2026, though earlier plans had targeted late 2025, spring 2026 and summer 2026 at various points.
The 10,700-square-foot site spans the ground floor and basement, with a patio on 16th Street, per prnewswire.com's earlier report on the lease signing. State of Play Hospitality operates Flight Club across North America under license, and the company said it chose this address specifically for its historic, architecturally significant bones. Toby Harris, speaking to Commercial Observer, said the brand's owners in the U.K. have always sought out historic, architecturally significant, beautiful buildings, adding that this one dates to the earliest days of the 20th century.
Marble Staircases and Ring Lights
Inside, the ground-floor banking hall still carries its original marble walls and mosaic floor tiles, along with a grand marble staircase connecting the ground floor to the basement level, the same Commercial Observer report notes. During renovation, State of Play Hospitality removed a mezzanine that had been installed for Blue Water Grill, since it created lower ceiling heights throughout the space. Taking the mezzanine out exposed more of the marble and the building's cornice ceiling, giving the venue very high ceilings alongside Flight Club's signature ring lights.
Flight Club's overall look leans into what the company describes as an upscale and whimsical Victorian English pub aesthetic, built around a cocktail bar in an upscale environment. Cabochon lighting and fairground touches show up across its venues, and the individual darts play areas, known as oches, are themed around motifs like hot air balloons, animals and old-time fairgrounds. Harris told Commercial Observer that no matter the location, the bar is always the centerpiece.
Corporate Crowds and a Manhattan Expansion Plan
The Union Square venue is designed to accommodate up to 309 guests and will include a private event room, two bars and multiple oches, according to Flight Club's own event listings. Commercial Observer reports the space will serve a blend of corporate clients and social guests, and the flightclubdartsusa.com listing describes the concept as combining elevated food and beverage offerings with tech-enabled Social Darts. State of Play Hospitality is already eyeing more Flight Club venues across Manhattan once this one opens, per the same Commercial Observer report.
Flight Club is a U.K.-based chain of pubs for darts aficionados that has grown into an international event venue brand. It was founded in 2012 by Steve Moore and Paul Barham, according to Commercial Observer, though a separate account from chainstoreage.com places the brand's London launch in Shoreditch in 2015. State of Play launched the first U.S. Flight Club under license in Chicago's downtown Loop in 2018, and the company later opened a location in Philadelphia's original Stock Exchange building at 1417 Walnut Street, a 7,000-square-foot space built for groups of up to 400 people, according to FSR Magazine.
Strong Sales Fuel Nationwide Growth
The New York opening comes as Flight Club's numbers keep climbing. Same-store sales rose 8.3% year over year in State of Play's fiscal 2026, with the company crediting demand for corporate events, celebrations and social occasions for driving traffic, according to Nation's Restaurant News. Flight Club accounted for 80% of State of Play's revenue last fiscal year, and the company reported $72 million in revenue across all of its concepts, with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rising 45% to $7.7 million.
State of Play has raised $10 million to fuel further expansion in North America and plans to open four more U.S. Flight Club locations, which would bring its domestic footprint to 15. Nation's Restaurant News describes the broader food-and-games market as a mixed bag, noting that Flight Club and Level99 are thriving while chains like Dave & Buster's, Pinstripes and Dueling Axes have struggled. A separate report from chainstoreage.com points to Americans increasingly prioritizing memorable, shared experiences over material goods, and cites a Gallup poll finding that the share of U.S. adults who drink alcohol has fallen to a 90-year low of 54%.
