Johnny O's Speakeasy, the members-only cocktail lounge tucked in the basement of 9 Prime at 9 N. High St., has been serving high-end cocktails and small bites to a capped roster of 150 members since spring 2024.

The lounge sits inside the historic First National Bank Building in downtown West Chester. Owner John O'Connell, a local real estate developer, transformed the 1863 landmark beginning in 2023, opening 9 Prime as a steakhouse on the main floors and the speakeasy below.

Membership costs $2,500 per year. That fee gets holders a key fob for a private rear entrance, a 10 percent discount on food at 9 Prime upstairs, priority lounge reservations and invitations to exclusive events including gourmet tastings with executive chef Jacob Altemus.

The space itself leans into the building's banking past. Original vault doors and safety deposit boxes line the room. Walls and ceilings carry bank-themed décor, the lighting stays low and seating mixes velvet and leather with textured wallpaper.

"We want a most intimate experience for our members," said Chris Jones, assistant general manager of the speakeasy. "We want everyone to feel that this is as much theirs as ours."

The lounge is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to midnight. It is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Members can bring one guest without a reservation or up to three guests with a reservation, according to the speakeasy's website.

Membership details are available at johnnyoswestchester.com.