FAQ

Indeed we are! We’re less than a mile away, just a short stroll along Montgomery Street to the nerve center of the Financial District, the Merchants Exchange building.

Ultimately, it depends on the type of event. The Club can comfortably accommodate 180 seated guests or up to 450 for a cocktail reception. For larger parties, the Club and the upstairs Julia Morgan Ballroom can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. See our venue detail page for detailed room sizes, dimensions and capacities.

Yes! The Merchants Exchange Club and all associated areas are equipped with 25mbps symmetrical WiFi. We’ll provide you with a password for your event to ensure that 100% of the bandwidth is reserved for you and your guests.

Yes. Our state-of-the-art elevators provide ample room for wheelchairs and all aspects of the venue are level and easily navigable.

You’re in luck! We’re located at the heart of the Financial District, easily accessible from a wide range of transportation options. If you’re driving, check our map for directions from your point of origin and a range of nearby public parking garages. If you’ll be coming via public transportation, the Montgomery and Embarcadero BART/Muni stations are within three and four blocks, respectively. Taking a California Street cable car from the top of Nob Hill? Hop off at our front door!

Detailed Directions (PDF)

There are a number of secure public parking lots within a block or two of the venue. We’ve created a handy parking map with full details on the location, hours and pricing for each of the most convenient lots in the neighborhood. We are also happy to arrange valet service for your guests. Valet pricing varies based on time of day and the number of cars you anticipate.

Public Parking Info (PDF)

Tastings at the Merchants Exchange Club are elegant affairs in their own right, reserved for clients providing plated meals for their guests. If you have finalized your contract with us, your tasting for two is included in your package, although you are welcome to add more guests to the tasting for an additional cost. If you wish to schedule a tasting prior to finalizing your contract with us, a fee of $250 will be charged, which will be waived upon the execution of a signed contract. Tastings are reviewed on an event-by-event basis.

Events at the Merchants Exchange Club are catered exclusively by our gourmet, in-house culinary team, which ensures the highest level of professionalism, customization and premium quality ingredients for your program. Outside vendors including A/V, floral, decor, entertainment etc. are allowed with permission from a Merchants Exchange Productions representative.

We cannot allow clients to bring in their own alcohol to serve, as we do not release our liquor licenses. However, nonprofit organizations may provide donated alcohol for our staff to serve.

Venue fees include the full, exclusive use of the Merchants Exchange Club, which includes both the Moya del Pino Bar and Lounge and the flexible Lower Club, our in-house inventory of tables and chairs, high speed WiFi and janitorial costs for cleanup following the event. We also provide a stage and dance floor for an additional labor charge.

Sometimes you want to keep the party going! Please contact your productions coordinator in our office immediately to work out details prior to your event. If you would like to extend the event while the program is going, you can do that too. In this case, there is an additional 1.5x labor charge for hourly staff and vendors. All beverage packages will be charged accordingly based on the length of time extended.

Our standard setup time begins three hours prior to the event unless stipulated otherwise. Due to limited storage onsite, packages should arrive no more than two days prior to your arrival. The following receiving charges will apply: $5.00 per box. Boxes arriving more than two business days prior to meeting dates and stored more than two days past meeting dates are subject to a storage fee of $10.00 per box, per day. Boxes are to be addressed with and formatted as follows: -Client Name -Group Name -Date of Event -# of Boxes -Merchants Exchange Productions – 465 California St.  -San Francisco, CA 94104.

Absolutely! We are proud supporters of our nonprofit community and we make every effort to facilitate exceptional nonprofit events in our spaces. We offer a discounted venue fee for nonprofit organizations, as well as a variety of media sponsorship opportunities from our sister company, the Nob Hill Gazette.

Yes, we require a Certificate of Liability Insurance from our clients 30 days prior to the event date. Clients must carry liability and property damage insurance for the premises in form and substance satisfactory to Merchants Exchange Club. The limit of liability must be at least $1,000,000 and shall name the Julia Morgan Ballroom, Merchants Exchange Club and Merchants Exchange Productions as additional insured.

We strive to provide a safe environment for clients and their guests at every level. All of our properties have security officers on duty 24 hours a day. Events are reviewed on an individual basis for security issues. If additional security is required, it will be provided by the property at the expense of the client.