Groucho Club CEO steps down ahead of reopening

Elli Jafari has stepped down as chief executive of the Groucho Club after less than a year in the role.

It comes after the London private members’ club, popular with A-list celebrities, had its licence temporarily suspended following allegations that a woman was raped inside the venue on November 13 2024.

A 34-year-old man was arrested in Hertfordshire on suspicion of rape and has subsequently been bailed.

The Groucho Club will reopen on Friday (10 January) after its licence was conditionally re-instated when police proposed new rules on members bringing guests.

It is understood that members are now required to provide details of their guests in advance through the members app.

When The Caterer tried to approach Jafari for comment, her out of office email stated: “I am no longer working with the Groucho Club.”

Jafari was appointed the Groucho Club’s first female chief executive in April 2024, having joined from a role at the Standard hotel in King’s Cross, where she was executive vice president for London and Ibiza and was known for curating celebrity parties.

A Groucho spokesperson said: “We would like to extend our thanks to Elli for helping to steer the club through the last couple of months and wish her well for the future.

“We are delighted that Simon Cooke, a veteran in hospitality and entertainment management as well as being a longstanding Groucho member, will be managing the club on an interim basis while we conduct a search for Elli’s permanent successor.” 

Cooke was previously managing director of Ronnie Scott’s Club in London’s Soho for 13 years and is also a trustee at the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.