What can we help you find?
Everything we know about Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika — policies, prices, capacities, specs, and how booking actually works. Ask it the way you’d ask a person.
Try “how much does it cost to rent Margolis”, “can I bring my own DJ”, “how many people fit upstairs”, “when do I get paid”.
Visit
Reservations, tickets, entry, hours, age
37Host an Event
Public and private bookings, promoters, vendors
63Spaces
Margolis, Fabrika, The Patio, capacity, layouts
18Food + Drink
Menus, catering, open bars, packages
12Production
DJs, bands, sound, lighting, technical
19Tickets + Payments
Ticketing, payouts, deposits, fees
20Policies
Age, cancellations, media, venue rules
11Everything, in order.
Every answer we publish, grouped by subject. Open one to read it; each answer links back to the page where the full information lives.
Visit
37 answersAre the venues wheelchair accessible?
Fabrika and The Patio are ground level. Margolis has steps at the entrance, but we can accommodate a wheelchair with advance notice — there’s an elevator in Fabrika and a wheelchair lift. Please give us a heads up so we can have it ready.
Tell us when you book, or email ruby@margolisphilly.com before the night. Fabrika’s intake form also asks event hosts about accessibility needs for their guests.
RelatedWhat is the Margolis second-floor bar?How do I reach a real person?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?Where are the venues? What are the addresses?
Is there a coat check?
Not a staffed coat check, but all three venues have a dedicated space for hanging coats.
Because it isn’t attended, nothing left there is looked after for you — the venue is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items. Keep anything valuable with you.
RelatedI left something at the venue — how do I get it back?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?What are the house rules at the bar?
Can people under 21 come to Margolis?
No. Margolis is 21+ every night, no exceptions, and valid government-issued photo ID is required at the door. Public events at Margolis are strictly 21+.
Private events are 21+ too. Booking the room out does not change the rule, because it is our liquor licence rather than a house preference. On a private booking an age restriction violation is one of the listed contract violations, at a flat $1,500.
RelatedIs The Patio 21+?Is Fabrika 21+?What ID do I need to get in?What counts as a contract violation, and what does it cost?
Is The Patio 21+?
Yes — The Patio is 21+ for public events, no exceptions, and valid government-issued photo ID is required at the door.
RelatedCan people under 21 come to Margolis?Is Fabrika 21+?What time does The Patio close?
Is Fabrika 21+?
It depends on the event. Public late-night parties are typically 21+ unless the host specifies otherwise; private and daytime events vary. Check the event listing or ask your host, and bring valid government-issued photo ID either way.
Hosts booking Fabrika choose their own age policy on the intake form — 21+, 18+, or all ages — so the answer is set per event, not by the room.
RelatedCan people under 21 come to Margolis?Is The Patio 21+?How does booking an event at Fabrika work?
What ID do I need to get in?
A valid government-issued photo ID, required at the door at Margolis and at The Patio for public events. Bring one to Fabrika too — most late-night events there are 21+.
RelatedCan people under 21 come to Margolis?Is The Patio 21+?Is Fabrika 21+?
Do I need a ticket or a reservation to come in?
Most nights at Margolis run as ticketed events. There are two ways in: General Admission, bought from the person or collective hosting the night, and a Reservation, bought directly through Margolis. Both are on every listing under Upcoming Events. On the rare night that isn’t ticketed, it’s open door.
RelatedHow do reservations work?What’s the difference between General Admission and a Reservation?Where do I buy tickets?Is there a cover charge?What happens if an event is sold out?
What’s the difference between General Admission and a Reservation?
General Admission is purchased from the person or collective hosting the event, on their own ticket link, and supports the people producing the night. A Reservation is purchased directly through Margolis and includes admission, check-in through the Margolis entrance, a welcome pour of champagne for every guest, access to future presales, and a Digital Passport visit.
We keep Priority Reservations to around 20 guests a night, counted in people rather than bookings — a party of four uses four of the twenty, and one buyer may take every remaining spot.
This is an admission reservation, not a table reservation. Tables, couches, and seats are first come, first served unless an entire couch has been reserved separately.
RelatedHow do reservations work?What does a Reservation cost?Do I get a free drink with a Priority Reservation?Do I need a ticket or a reservation to come in?What is a couch reservation?
How do reservations work?
A Reservation is event admission handled directly by Margolis. Choose your party size on any night under Upcoming Events and pay through secure Square checkout. We keep them to around 20 guests a night, and the running count is shown on every listing.
Your Reservation includes guaranteed event admission, check-in through the Margolis entrance, a welcome pour of champagne per guest, optional enrollment in the Margolis Priority List, early access to select Margolis events and discounted tickets, advance notice of select celebrity afterparties, and one eligible visit added to your Digital Margolis Passport.
Your spot is not confirmed until you pay. Your admission and QR code arrive by email the moment payment goes through.
The champagne is handed over as a drink ticket at check-in, one per guest, and given to the bartender when you order. It is a welcome pour, half a glass rather than a full one, just something nice to sip on while you take the night in. It comes with a Priority Reservation only, not with a Couch Reservation.
This is an admission reservation, not a table reservation. Tables, couches, and seats are first come, first served unless an entire couch has been reserved separately.
RelatedWhat does a Reservation cost?Do I get a free drink with a Priority Reservation?What’s the difference between General Admission and a Reservation?Can I get a refund on a reservation?Do I need a ticket or a reservation to come in?What is a couch reservation?
What does a Reservation cost?
$20 for the first guest until seven days before the event, $25 during the final seven days, and $30 once the event has started, subject to availability and legal venue capacity. Every additional guest in the same transaction saves $5. Sunday through Thursday is discounted at every window. Those are the usual prices, not a promise: some nights are priced on their own. The price on the night’s own button is the one you pay.
Friday and Saturday totals: one guest $20/$25/$30, two $35/$45/$55, four $65/$85/$105, six $95/$125/$155, ten $155/$205/$255, twenty $305/$405/$505, across Early, Standard and Same Night respectively.
Sunday through Thursday runs $10 for the first guest during Early, $15 during Standard and $20 Same Night, with every additional guest again saving $5.
The group discount applies only when all guests are purchased in the same transaction. It cannot be applied retroactively or combined across separate transactions. Your exact total, the effective price per person and what you saved are all shown before you pay.
RelatedHow do reservations work?What’s the difference between General Admission and a Reservation?Is there a cover charge?What is a couch reservation?
Do I get a free drink with a Priority Reservation?
Yes. Every guest checking in on a Priority Reservation is handed a drink ticket at the door, one per person, good for a welcome pour of champagne. It is half a glass rather than a full one, just something nice to sip on while you take the night in.
It is a physical ticket handed to you at check-in, so there is nothing to show on your phone and nothing to redeem in advance. Give it to the bartender when you order. One ticket per registered guest, good on the night of your reservation.
It comes with a Priority Reservation only. A Couch Reservation covers admission and your seating for the night rather than anything at the bar.
Tickets have no cash value and cannot be applied toward tax or gratuity.
RelatedHow do reservations work?What’s the difference between General Admission and a Reservation?What is a couch reservation?How does the Digital Margolis Passport work?
How does the Digital Margolis Passport work?
Each eligible visit through a Margolis Reservation adds one stamp. After every five you unlock complimentary admission to any Margolis event you choose, booked from your own profile. Visits only count once they are attached to a profile, so log in before you reserve.
Pick the night on your profile and book it yourself. It is held as an ordinary Priority Reservation, so it comes with the same ticket, the same QR code and the same check-in through the Margolis entrance.
Visits only count once they are on a profile. Log in before you reserve and they add up on their own. If you already booked without one, make a profile and enter that reservation number, from your confirmation email or your ticket page, and we will add the visit as long as the name on it matches your account.
Additional occasional milestones may include Margolis merchandise, first access to a special event, early access to Couch Reservations, and invitations to select Margolis experiences.
One eligible stamp per guest per event. Rewards have no cash value and cannot be applied toward tax or gratuity. A free night covers one guest. Use the same email address or phone number every time so your visits connect. Purchasing for a group does not give every stamp to the purchaser. Checkout does not ask for your guests’ details — after you book, your ticket page lets you send any guest their own code, which gives them their own stamp and lets them arrive separately from you.
RelatedHow do reservations work?Do I get a free drink with a Priority Reservation?Is there a Margolis membership?What is the Margolis Priority List?
What is the Margolis Priority List?
An optional text and email list. Priority List guests may receive early access to discounted tickets, Margolis-produced events, limited-capacity experiences, and select celebrity afterparties before the official public announcement.
Margolis has previously hosted events featuring Smino, Leon Thomas, Ty Dolla $ign, and KWN. Not every event, artist appearance, or celebrity afterparty is announced early.
Joining is optional and never required to purchase. Message and data rates may apply; reply STOP to unsubscribe.
RelatedHow do reservations work?How does the Digital Margolis Passport work?Is there a Margolis membership?
Is there a Margolis membership?
Yes. Margolis Member is $50 a month for five eligible nights for you. Margolis Member + One is $100 a month for unlimited eligible nights for you and a guest. Both include half price on couch reservations, check-in through Margolis, Priority List access, and Digital Passport stamps.
Membership applies to eligible public Margolis nights. Private events and buyouts are never eligible, and Margolis may exclude an individual night. Celebrity appearances, concert afterparties and specially ticketed events may also be excluded, though members may still receive early access or member pricing. For any night that is not eligible, members buy General Admission or a Reservation like anybody else.
Members RSVP from a separate allotment for each event that never reduces the 20 public Reservation spots. Members must RSVP by the stated deadline; membership does not guarantee admission without a completed RSVP, and entry remains subject to legal venue capacity. On the $50 plan, unused monthly entries do not roll over; Member + One has no monthly limit. Memberships cannot be transferred, and a Member + One must attend with their guest.
Membership does not guarantee seating. Tables, couches, and seats remain first come, first served unless an entire couch is separately reserved — and members pay half the night’s rate on one, provided they are logged in to their profile when they book.
Billing runs through Square as a monthly subscription, and your membership becomes active the moment the first payment goes through — there is no approval step and nobody switches it on by hand.
RelatedHow does the Digital Margolis Passport work?What is the Margolis Priority List?How do reservations work?Do Margolis Members get a discount on couches?
Can I get a refund on a reservation?
Reservations are non-refundable. Transfers to another night are allowed up to 48 hours before the event. If the night goes invite-only, you are refunded in full.
RelatedHow do reservations work?Can I cancel a couch reservation?Can I get a refund on a ticket?
Is there a cover charge?
Ticketed nights are priced per event — check the listing under Upcoming Events. On a night that isn’t ticketed, there’s no cover. Door price on a ticketed night usually runs $10–$25, but the host sets it and it varies — check their ticket link for the real number.
RelatedDo I need a ticket or a reservation to come in?Where do I buy tickets?What is a couch reservation?
Where do I buy tickets?
Under Upcoming Events on each venue’s page. Every listing shows all three ways in side by side: General Admission from the event host, a Reservation through Margolis, and Reserve a Couch.
New nights post every week. Each listing shows the date, door time, the run of the night, and a description of the event.
General Admission takes you to the host’s own ticketing platform. If a host hasn’t released tickets for a night yet, that card says so, and a Reservation through Margolis is still available.
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How do I find out what’s coming up?
The Upcoming Events section on each venue page lists every confirmed night, in a list view or a month calendar view. New nights post every week. Instagram is @margolisphilly.
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What happens if an event is sold out?
Advance tickets are capped at 200 per event, and once presale is gone additional admission may be sold at the door, subject to legal capacity and real-time availability. Once the room hits legal capacity, admission runs one-in-one-out and is never guaranteed — even for guests who bought in advance.
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What happens when the venue reaches capacity?
Admission is handled one-in-one-out. Once we reach legal capacity, admission is never guaranteed — even for guests who purchased in advance.
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What is a couch reservation?
Reserve an entire couch for your party — $200 per couch Friday and Saturday, $100 Sunday through Thursday, seating up to 6 guests, with event admission included for all 6 and the couch held for the whole night. A Couch Reservation is the only option that guarantees seating.
Each couch has its own table plus a few extra chairs or stools so a full party of six has a seat — most groups that size don’t all fit directly on the couch cushions. Couches are seating-only; bottle service is optional and billed separately by Margolis.
The fee is $200 on a Friday or Saturday and $100 Sunday through Thursday, priced on the night you are booking rather than the day you book it. It is required for all reserved seating regardless of bottle purchase. It also covers check-in through Margolis and guest communication before the event.
An ordinary Reservation does not include a table, a couch, or a section — only a separately purchased Couch Reservation guarantees seating. It works the other way too: the welcome pour of champagne comes with a Priority Reservation and not with a couch.
RelatedHow many people does a couch cover?How do I reserve a couch?Can I cancel a couch reservation?Do you offer bottle service?Do I get a free drink with a Priority Reservation?
How many people does a couch cover?
Up to 6 guests per couch, with event admission for all 6 built into the fee ($200 Friday and Saturday, $100 Sunday through Thursday). Extra guests just pay the regular door charge — we tally your party at check-in.
You can reserve 1–4 couches through the reservation form. For a larger group than that, get in touch directly.
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How do I reserve a couch?
Use the Reserve a Couch form on the Margolis page — under two minutes, and you pay at the end of it. The couch is not held until the fee is paid; the room only has five, and they go to whoever pays first.
This changed: a couch used to be a request we reviewed and then emailed a payment link for. It is a sale now. You pick the night and how many couches, and the form takes you straight to secure checkout — your confirmation arrives the moment the payment goes through.
If you are a Margolis Member, log in to your profile before you book. The member rate is half, and the site can only apply it to a profile you are signed in to — booking signed out is charged the full rate and it cannot be refunded back afterwards.
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Do Margolis Members get a discount on couches?
Yes — half. A Margolis Member pays half the night’s couch rate, whatever that night costs. You must be logged in to your profile when you book for it to apply.
It is half of the rate for that night rather than a fixed figure, so it tracks the Friday/Saturday and Sunday–Thursday split on its own.
The discount is applied to the profile you are signed in to, not to the email address you type into the form — otherwise anyone who knew a member’s address could half-price a couch with it. So a member who books signed out is charged the full rate, and we cannot apply the discount to a payment that has already gone through.
A couch is the one thing membership does not already cover: admission is included with the plan, but a couch is a piece of the room being held for your party all night.
RelatedIs there a Margolis membership?What is a couch reservation?How do I reserve a couch?
Can I cancel a couch reservation?
Couch reservations are refundable up to 48 hours before your date.
RelatedWhat is a couch reservation?Can I get a refund on a reservation?
Do you offer bottle service?
Yes. At Margolis, bottle service is an optional add-on to a couch reservation, arranged and billed separately. Every bottle comes with five mixers. Spirits run from $250 (Espolòn Blanco, Jameson, Ketel One) to $700 (Don Julio 1942); champagne runs $355 (Moët & Chandon Brut) to $415 (Veuve Clicquot Rosé), and a bottle of any wine is $80. At Fabrika, VIP tables carry 1- or 2-bottle minimums depending on table size.
Bottle prices on the Margolis list: Espolòn Blanco $250 · Espolòn Reposado $300 · Don Julio Blanco $300 · Don Julio Reposado $350 · Don Julio 1942 $700 · Jameson $250 · Hennessy VS $350 · Grey Goose $300 · Ketel One $250 · Bulleit Bourbon $300.
Every bottle comes with five mixers; only extras beyond those five are charged — $5 a mixer, $7 for a Red Bull, the same at both rooms.
Champagne: Moët & Chandon Brut $355 · Moët & Chandon Rosé $390 · Veuve Clicquot Brut $375 · Veuve Clicquot Rosé $415.
RelatedWhat is a couch reservation?How do VIP tables work at Fabrika?What’s on the Margolis menu?
What are Margolis’s hours?
Margolis is an event space rather than a fixed-hours bar, so hours follow what’s booked. Nights run the full spectrum — quiet happy hours early in the week, weekend sets running right up to our 2 AM close. Check the specific night under Upcoming Events.
Friday and Saturday late-night events run 9 PM–2 AM, with doors advertised at 9 PM and a $10 cocktail hour from 9 to 10 PM. Public event bookings run in two other windows too: Sunday–Thursday, and Friday–Saturday noon–9 PM.
RelatedHow do I find out what’s coming up?What time does The Patio close?What hours does Fabrika Events run?What’s the Friday/Saturday late-night format at Margolis?
What time does The Patio close?
By city regulation, every public event on The Patio concludes by 9 PM — no exceptions, and there is no option to extend past it. Private events on The Patio end at 9 PM as well.
RelatedHow long is an event on The Patio?How do I host a public event on The Patio?Can I book a private event on The Patio?What are Margolis’s hours?
What hours does Fabrika Events run?
It depends on what’s booked. Public late-night parties typically run Friday and Saturday, 10 PM–2 AM, with a room reset between 9 and 10 PM after the earlier dinner-theater seating. Private and daytime events can be booked at other times.
RelatedWhat is the Fabrika room reset, and how does it affect my setup?I’m looking for the drag brunch or dinner show — is that here?How does booking an event at Fabrika work?
I left something at the venue — how do I get it back?
Email ruby@margolisphilly.com with the date and a description and we’ll check. Note that the venue is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items.
RelatedIs there a coat check?How do I reach a real person?What are the conduct and liability rules?
Where do I park?
Residential street parking in the surrounding blocks, plus a paid lot on W Wildey St directly across from the Margolis entrance.
The lot is the reliable option on a busy night; street parking in Fishtown is residential and fills up. The Patio and Fabrika are a short walk away on Frankford Ave.
RelatedWhere are the venues? What are the addresses?What’s the difference between Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika?
Is there a dress code?
Nothing strict — but we encourage you to dress to impress.
Individual events can set their own dress code or theme; if one applies, the event listing says so.
RelatedWhat are the house rules at the bar?How much does it cost to rent Margolis for a private event?How do I find out what’s coming up?
Can I leave and come back in?
Margolis allows re-entry on most nights. It isn’t guaranteed on every night, so check with the door before you step out.
The one thing that overrides it: once the room reaches legal capacity, admission runs one-in-one-out and is never guaranteed — even for guests who bought in advance. On a night that busy, leaving may mean waiting to get back in.
RelatedWhat happens when the venue reaches capacity?What happens if an event is sold out?Do I need a ticket or a reservation to come in?
How do I reach a real person?
Two ways, both on every venue page under Contact. Schedule a Call books a 15-minute phone call at a time you pick. Send an Email Inquiry goes to ruby@margolisphilly.com and gets a reply by email, usually within a day or two.
Fabrika’s phone is 215-203-0202; Margolis’s is 267-277-2053. Instagram is @margolisphilly.
The 15-minute call is the fastest way to weigh a date, ask about pricing, or talk through a plan before committing to anything — no obligation.
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How do I schedule a call?
Pick Schedule a Call under Contact on any venue page, choose a date and a time between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and we call you then. It’s 15 minutes, no obligation.
Good for weighing a date, asking about pricing, arranging a tour, or talking through what you’re planning before you commit to anything. If the time doesn’t work out we follow up by email to reschedule.
RelatedHow do I reach a real person?Can I see the space before I book?
Can I see the space before I book?
Yes — "Arrange a tour" is one of the options on both the Schedule a Call form and the Email Inquiry form. Pick it and we’ll set up a walkthrough.
If you want to see the rooms first without waiting, the Photo Gallery has the full set of on-site photography, and the Floor Plans page has every room drawn to scale with real dimensions.
RelatedHow do I schedule a call?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?How do I reach a real person?
Do you do cocktail classes?
Hands-on cocktail classes at Margolis are coming — dates, pricing and booking details aren’t live yet. Reach out and we’ll let you know the moment they are.
RelatedHow do I reach a real person?What’s on the Margolis menu?
Host an Event
63 answersHow long is an event on The Patio?
Four hours — every event on The Patio, public or private, is the same length. The Patio books from noon and the city curfew ends every event by 9 PM, so the start lands between 12 PM and 5 PM and there is no option to extend.
There is no extra-hour price out here, because there is no extra hour to sell: 9 PM is city regulation rather than a house policy. A 12 to 4 PM afternoon, a 1 to 5 PM day party and a 5 to 9 PM happy hour are each the whole event.
The booking forms ask only for your start time and fill in the end themselves.
RelatedWhat time does The Patio close?How do I host a public event on The Patio?Can I book a private event on The Patio?How long is a private event, and can I extend it?
What counts as a public event?
A public event is one the general public can attend — a DJ night, showcase, residency, live music bill, listening session, comedy or open mic, art show or market, or a community night or fundraiser. You bring the concept and the crowd; the venue provides the room, staff, hospitality and operational support.
The distinction that matters for booking: a public event is open to anyone (ticketed or free) and you earn a share of the night. A private event is a buyout — the room is closed to the public, and you pay for it. If a birthday is invite-only, that’s a private event; if it’s an open party with a door, that’s a public event.
RelatedHow do I host a public event at Margolis?How much does it cost to rent Margolis for a private event?What do I earn hosting a public event at Margolis?
How do I host a public event at Margolis?
Meet the applicable minimum for your date and hours, and you earn 15% of eligible net venue sales for a free event, or 100% of your presale revenue plus a share of the door and 10% of eligible net venue sales for a ticketed event. Submit the request form on the Host a Public Event page — it takes about 5–7 minutes.
The form walks through your date and terms, your event concept, operations (talent, equipment, promotion, contact), and a review-and-sign step. Your progress is saved on your device as you go. Public events at Margolis are strictly 21+.
Requests are reviewed in the order received. Your date is confirmed only through written acceptance.
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What is the minimum spend to book Margolis for a public event?
$1,500 on a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, whatever the hours. $2,000 on a Friday or Saturday finishing by 9 PM. $5,000 on a Friday or Saturday running 9 PM to 2 AM. Add $500 whenever the kitchen is open, and $500 for a standard event running past four hours. Mondays are not available.
| Booking period | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Sunday, Tuesday–Thursday, any hours | $1,500 |
| Fri–Sat, finishing by 9 PM | $2,000 |
| Fri–Sat, 9 PM–2 AM | $5,000 |
| Kitchen open | + $500 |
| Standard event running past four hours | + $500 |
One base minimum applies, set by your date and hours; the two additions stack on top of it. These are the minimums for every Margolis event, residencies included — there is no separate rate. Mondays are not available: that night is a standing weekly residency. The booking form calculates the exact figure for your night as you fill it in.
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What happens if I don’t hit the minimum?
You cover the difference, and no venue-sales percentage is paid for that event. The minimum has to be paid in full by the conclusion of the event, so a shortfall is settled on the night rather than invoiced afterwards.
Eligible net venue sales are calculated after discounts, not the original price. Once your minimum is reached, your percentage applies to all eligible net venue sales — not only the amount above the minimum. Sales and alcohol taxes (10%) and gratuity (20%) are excluded, as are refunds, chargebacks and comped items.
RelatedWhat is the minimum spend to book Margolis for a public event?What counts as "eligible net venue sales"?What do I earn hosting a public event at Margolis?
What do I earn hosting a public event at Margolis?
For a free event: 15% of eligible net venue sales. For a ticketed event: 100% of presale revenue (always, every host, every time), plus 50% of door revenue for a first booking or one-off — 100% of the door once you’re a returning recurring host — plus 10% of eligible net venue sales. Hosts also get 50% off personal food and beverage during the event, 25% off bottles.
| Event model | You receive |
|---|---|
| Free event | 15% of eligible net venue sales |
| Ticketed — presale | 100% of presale revenue, every host, every time |
| Ticketed — door, first booking or one-off | 50% of door revenue |
| Ticketed — door, returning recurring host | 100% of door revenue |
| Ticketed — venue sales | 10% of eligible net venue sales |
| Host discount | 50% off personal food and beverage during the event, 25% off bottles |
RelatedHow is the door split at Margolis?When do I get paid?What counts as "eligible net venue sales"?What is the minimum spend to book Margolis for a public event?
How is the door split at Margolis?
You always keep 100% of presale revenue — that is never split. Door sales are split 50/50 for one-off events and for first-time bookers. Once you’ve hosted and your event returns on a recurring basis, you receive 100% of the door as well.
First-time hosts keep all of their presale revenue so they benefit immediately from the audience they personally bring, and have upfront funds for talent, marketing and production. The 50/50 door window lets Margolis evaluate attendance, promotion, professionalism and operational fit before extending the full door benefit.
Whether your booking counts as recurring is set by the "frequency" answer on the booking form — one-time bookings split the door; monthly, weekly or quarterly bookings from returning hosts take 100%. We verify booking history against our records before confirming.
RelatedWhat do I earn hosting a public event at Margolis?What changes when I go from a first-time host to a returning one?When do I get paid?
What changes when I go from a first-time host to a returning one?
Your door share. It goes from 50% to 100% once you are a returning host and the booking is recurring rather than one-off. The minimum does not change — as of 28 August 2026 there is one ladder for every Margolis event, whoever is booking it.
The booking form asks whether you’ve hosted a public event at Margolis before, and how often the event will run. Both answers feed the door split shown to you. We verify them against our booking records before confirming — if the answer doesn’t match, we correct the terms and your confirmation email shows the change.
There used to be a second benefit: a returning host paid $3,500 rather than $5,000 for a Friday or Saturday late night. That distinction is gone; every Friday/Saturday 9 PM–2 AM booking is $5,000.
RelatedHow is the door split at Margolis?What is the minimum spend to book Margolis for a public event?What do I earn hosting a public event at Margolis?
Will Reservations compete with my ticket sales?
Margolis Reservations are intentionally structured to minimize any effect on the host’s ticket sales. They are kept to a small number, around 20 guests, live only on margolis.events, and are not promoted alongside the event. You remain responsible for promotion, and your ticket link remains the primary General Admission option.
RelatedWill Margolis advertise Reservations instead of my ticket link?Who receives Reservation revenue?Why does Margolis offer Reservations?How do reservations work?
Will Margolis advertise Reservations instead of my ticket link?
No. Reservations will not be placed on your flyer, external ticket listing, event announcement, or promotional campaign. The host’s General Admission link remains the primary public ticket link.
RelatedWill Reservations compete with my ticket sales?Who receives Reservation revenue?What promotional support does the venue provide?
Who receives Reservation revenue?
Margolis retains Reservation revenue because the venue processes the purchase and provides admission, check-in, guest communication, Passport rewards, and ongoing Priority List benefits.
RelatedWhy does Margolis offer Reservations?Will Reservations compete with my ticket sales?What do I earn hosting a public event at Margolis?
Do members enter my event for free?
A limited number can. Eligible public nights carry a limited membership allotment, and members must RSVP in advance against it. It is a fixed allotment rather than a percentage, it is separate from the 20 public Reservation spots, and private events and buyouts are excluded entirely.
You can ask for your night to be excluded from membership when you book. Whether we honor the request is at Margolis’s discretion.
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Why does Margolis offer Reservations?
Margolis offers one of the city’s strongest host payout structures. Hosts keep all General Admission presales, and returning hosts in good standing may keep 100% of their General Admission door sales. The limited Reservation system gives Margolis a sustainable revenue source without taking a larger percentage from every ticket the host sells.
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What is a residency here, and how do I get one?
A residency is a repeating night at Margolis, in one of two shapes. Seasonal is one night a month held for a full season — three dates. Quarterly is one night in each season — up to four dates across the year. Seasons are calendar quarters, residency nights run Tuesday through Sunday in one of a fixed set of windows, and applications for 2027 are open on the Apply for a Residency page.
Applications for 2027 residencies open in November, and the 2027 calendar is finalized by early December. Everything below is the deal as it will stand, so it is worth reading before you apply.
| Night | Windows |
|---|---|
| Tuesday & Wednesday | 6–10 PM · 8 PM–12 AM |
| Thursday | 6–10 PM · 8 PM–12 AM · 10 PM–2 AM |
| Friday | 6–9 PM happy hour · 9 PM–2 AM |
| Saturday | 1–5 PM day party · 5–9 PM happy hour · 9 PM–2 AM |
| Sunday | 1–5 PM day party · 5–9 PM happy hour |
Custom hours are possible by exception and the application asks for them in writing, but these windows are prioritised.
Both shapes use the same four seasons. On a seasonal residency one season is three dates; on a quarterly one it is a single date, so a quarterly application asks for at least two seasons — one date on its own is an ordinary single booking. Everything else is identical: the same windows, the same minimums, the same payout and the same kill fee.
Residencies are confirmed one season at a time and reviewed at the end of each one, so acceptance covers the season it names and nothing past it. You can apply for a single season or for all four; applying for several tells us you want to keep going, it does not book them.
Each residency night otherwise runs on exactly the terms that room already publishes — the same minimum, the same payout, the same flyer and lineup deadlines. A residency repeats the deal, it does not replace it.
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Seasonal or quarterly — what is the difference?
How often the night lands, and nothing else. Seasonal is one night a month for a whole season, so a season is three dates. Quarterly is one night in each season, about three months apart, so a full year is four dates. Same windows, same minimums, same payout, same kill fee — the application asks which you want first and then adapts around it.
| Shape | How often | Per season | A full year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal | One night a month, every month of the season | 3 dates | 12 if you take all four |
| Quarterly | One night per season, about 3 months apart | 1 date | 4 if you take all four |
Seasonal builds a habit fastest — the crowd learns the date and the room grows edition to edition — but you are filling it every month, and month four is where most residencies die. Quarterly gives you months to promote each date and makes every edition an occasion, at the cost of starting a little colder each time.
A quarterly application asks for at least two seasons. One date on its own is an ordinary single booking, not a residency, and there is a form for that.
Either way we confirm one season at a time and review at the end of it, so acceptance covers the season it names and nothing past it.
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Can you take a residency date away from me?
Yes, and it is the one term a residency has that a single booking does not. Almost always it happens because an event at Fabrika wants the whole building. We offer you that event’s afterparty first — take it and nothing is owed either way. If there is no afterparty to offer or you turn it down, you are paid a fee that grows as the notice shortens.
| Notice we give you | You receive |
|---|---|
| More than 30 days | No fee — we move you to another date |
| 30 days or less | $1,000 |
| 14 days or less | $1,500 |
| 7 days or less | $2,000 |
Notice is given in writing and every window is counted from the day that notice goes out to the date itself. The fee is paid the same way your door money is paid, within 14 days of the reclaimed date.
The other direction is mostly free: if you need to drop one of your own dates there is no fee, provided we have more than 48 hours’ notice. Inside 48 hours a kill fee of half that night’s bar minimum comes out of your next payout, because the staff booked for it are already scheduled and paid. Dropping dates repeatedly ends the residency.
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Which rooms offer residencies?
Margolis, to start. The Patio and Fabrika will open for residencies later — apply anyway and say so at the end, and we will come back to you when they do.
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What counts as "eligible net venue sales"?
Total sales, food and bar together, calculated after discounts, not the original price. Sales and alcohol taxes (10%) and gratuity (20%) are excluded, as are refunds, chargebacks and comped items. Once your minimum is reached, your percentage applies to all eligible net venue sales — not only the amount above the minimum.
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How long can my event run at Margolis?
Standard public events run up to four hours. Friday and Saturday 9 PM–2 AM events may run five. One additional hour is available on non-late-night bookings and adds $500 to your minimum.
Start times are selectable in 30-minute increments from noon to 10 PM. Private events run up to five hours; extending a private event is +$1,000 per additional hour.
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What’s the Friday/Saturday late-night format at Margolis?
Event hours are 9 PM–2 AM, with a $10 cocktail hour from 9 to 10 PM. You advertise doors at 9 PM. The kitchen serves until last orders at 11 PM if you want it, adding $500 to your minimum, and outside catering requires approval.
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Is the kitchen open during my event?
You choose on the booking form: Margolis kitchen service, no food service, or outside catering. Kitchen service adds $500 to your minimum on any night. On a Friday or Saturday 9 PM–2 AM booking the kitchen serves until last orders at 11 PM.
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How many guests can I expect to fit at my Margolis event?
Margolis holds approximately 150 guests at one time. Larger attendance estimates over a night depend on turnover and do not increase legal capacity. Anticipated guest counts on the booking form run from 50 to 250.
For free events we suggest capping your RSVP list at 400. Advance ticket sales are capped at 200 per event.
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Can I host a free event?
Yes. For a free event you earn 15% of eligible net venue sales, and we suggest capping your RSVP list at 400.
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What promotional support does the venue provide?
One collaborative post, one weekly lineup post and one day-of story post from @margolisphilly, plus a listing on the public events calendar. Flyer design, ticket sales and the rest of your promotion are on you.
We look for organizers prepared to go beyond posting a flyer. Agreeing to make a collaborative promotional post with @margolisphilly is a required answer on the booking form.
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When do I need to submit my flyer, lineup and ticket link?
At least 10 days before the event date — DJ lineup, event flyer and ticket link. Agreeing to that deadline is a required answer on the booking form. AI-generated flyers are not accepted.
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Do I need to provide my own door person or security?
Your choice on the booking form: you can take a door person from the venue, provide your own, or run no door. Door and security staff, bartenders and basic furniture are included in a Margolis public-event booking.
Note the door-processing rule: a 5% service charge applies to credit card transactions processed at the door by Jubyr LLC. It is waived only if you provide your own dedicated door staff and use a legitimate tap-to-pay platform such as Square or Stripe, or a mandatory pre-sale ticketing system.
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What happens after I submit a booking request?
Jubyr LLC reviews your submission and verifies availability and applicable terms. You’ll receive written acceptance or follow-up questions. Your date isn’t confirmed until written acceptance is issued — once accepted, your booking and the policies you acknowledged become the binding contract, so any change has to be requested before we confirm.
A copy of your responses goes to your inbox when you submit. For Fabrika, the equivalent step is Fabrika issuing its official agreement, and the date is not confirmed until that contract is executed.
At Margolis and The Patio the written acceptance IS the contract. It binds the answers you gave on the form together with the terms you acknowledged alongside them — your date, your hours, your headcount, your format and the figures you were quoted.
Any change must be requested and agreed in writing before we confirm. Once your booking is accepted an amendment is at our discretion and may not be possible; asking for one does not pause your minimum or the cancellation terms while it is being discussed. Raise everything you want changed while your enquiry is still open — that is what the window before acceptance is for.
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Is my date held when I pick it on the calendar?
No. Open dates on the availability calendar are available to request, but a date is not held until Jubyr accepts your booking in writing — or, at Fabrika, until the official agreement is issued.
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How do I host a public event on The Patio?
Meet the applicable minimum for your day and you earn 15% of eligible net venue sales for a free event, or 100% of admission revenue plus 10% of eligible net venue sales for a ticketed event. Every event runs four hours and concludes by 9 PM by city regulation. Guest count tops out at 150.
The Patio’s terms are their own — it has not moved to the Margolis presale/door split. Ticketed events on The Patio keep 100% of admission revenue outright.
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What are The Patio’s minimums?
By day: $1,000 Mon–Wed with one bartender, $1,500 Mon–Wed with two bartenders, $1,500 Thursday and Sunday, $2,000 Friday, $2,500 Saturday. If sales fall below your minimum you cover the difference and no venue-sales percentage is paid.
| Day | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Mon–Wed (1 bartender) | $1,000 |
| Mon–Wed (2 bartenders) | $1,500 |
| Thu / Sun | $1,500 |
| Fri | $2,000 |
| Sat | $2,500 |
Additional servers are available with a $200 guarantee per server.
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Is there kitchen service on The Patio?
Kitchen service is included during standard hours Friday and Saturday, and available Monday–Thursday and Sunday with a $2,000 total minimum spend. Outside catering is permitted on The Patio with advance approval.
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How does booking an event at Fabrika work?
The opposite arrangement from Margolis: you keep 100% of door and ticket revenue and pay your own talent, and Fabrika keeps food and beverage and runs the venue. Hit the food-and-beverage minimum for your day and you earn commission on bar sales above set thresholds — 5% after $10,000, 10% after $15,000, 20% after $20,000.
Public promoter events are typically Friday or Saturday, 10 PM–2 AM. The intake form covers your event details, food and bottle service interest, DJ and performer sourcing, outside vendors, and a signature. Fabrika then issues an official agreement — your date isn’t confirmed until that contract is executed.
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What are Fabrika’s food and beverage minimums?
$5,000 Sunday–Thursday, $7,000 Friday, $9,000 Saturday.
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How does Fabrika’s commission work?
Commission kicks in once bar sales cross set thresholds — the same tiers every day of the week: 5% after $10,000 in bar sales, 10% after $15,000, 20% after $20,000. The food-and-beverage minimum still varies by day.
| Bar sales | Commission |
|---|---|
| After $10,000 | 5% |
| After $15,000 | 10% |
| After $20,000 | 20% |
The tiers are the same whichever day you book. The food and beverage minimum is what changes: $5,000 Sun–Thu, $7,000 Friday, $9,000 Saturday.
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Can I promote my Fabrika event before it’s booked?
No. No promotion of any kind — social posts, ticket sales, listings, or collaborations with Fabrika’s accounts — until the contract is fully executed.
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What is the Fabrika room reset, and how does it affect my setup?
On Friday and Saturday nights Fabrika hosts an earlier evening performance. Between 9 and 10 PM the team performs a full room reset — dinner seating out, VIP tables set, bar and service stations prepped, stage and lighting finalized. Late-night events run 10 PM–2 AM, so plan your arrival and setup around that window.
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When are Fabrika food offerings confirmed?
Before contract issuance, so the kitchen can schedule staffing and prep. Late-night events can offer VIP table menu options and concession-style service.
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How far in advance should I book?
There’s no minimum — if the date is open, we’ll take it. Availability is the only real constraint.
What does have a deadline is what comes after: your DJ lineup, flyer and ticket link are due 10 days before a Margolis public event, and final guest counts and bar selections are due 10 days before a private event. A booking close to the date still has to clear both.
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How do vendor markets and vendor applications work?
Apply to us. Email <a href="mailto:ruby@margolisphilly.com">ruby@margolisphilly.com</a> or schedule a call with what you sell and which dates you’re after, and we’ll route you to the right market.
Art shows and markets are a bookable event type here, and event hosts list their outside vendors on the booking form. Outside vendors provide their own certificate of insurance. Table fees, power and setup times are set per market rather than by a standing rate card.
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Can I bring vendor tables or special furniture to my event?
Tell us on the booking form — the private-event form asks directly about vendor tables, decorations and special furniture needs, and the Fabrika intake asks you to list outside vendors such as videographers, photographers and planners.
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Do I need event insurance or a certificate of insurance?
Not as the host. Any outside company working your event — caterers and vendors — provides their own certificate of insurance.
Outside catering also requires advance approval and may need additional fees, licensing or other documentation on top of the COI. List your outside vendors on the booking form so we can sort the paperwork before the day.
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Do you have holiday party packages?
Three, all per person for a three-hour party: drinks and canapés at $90 (about $116 with tax and service), the full party at $120 (about $155), and a seated dinner with speeches at $125 (about $162).
They are not separate products — each one is the published bar package plus the published food package added together, so the components and prices are the same ones on the menu. Drinks and canapés: Wine & Beer open bar for three hours ($45) plus hors d’oeuvres, any five ($45). The full party: Base Level open bar for three hours ($75) plus the same hors d’oeuvres. Seated dinner and speeches: Base Level open bar for three hours ($75) plus the dinner package, one selection per section ($50) — at Fabrika, around the elevated centre stage, up to 300 seated.
Upgrades: Premium bar adds $45 per person over three hours, two dinner selections per section adds $20, a fourth hour adds $15 to $50 depending on the bar tier, and a Ma Maison champagne toast is $80 per bottle pre-ordered.
December Fridays and Saturdays book first and carry the weekend minimum. A Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday is the same party for $1,000 less at Margolis or The Patio.
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Can you do a seated corporate dinner with a keynote?
Yes — up to 300 seated at Fabrika, around an elevated round stage in the centre of the main hall. It is the standard private-event dinner package at the standard price: $50 per person to select one dish per section, $70 to select two.
The stage is 10 ft across, raised, and central, so a speaker has the tables around them rather than to one side — which is what makes the room work for an awards night, a keynote, a product launch or a partner dinner.
Production is included and run by Fabrika’s in-house technical team: a Midas M32 desk with twelve Turbosound BERLIN array speakers and eight QSC subwoofers, two Shure wireless microphones and two monitors, thirty moving-head and wash LEDs with two chandeliers, and two 6,000-lumen projectors onto two 135-inch ALR screens. A half-ton main stage hoist and two side hoists are there if you are hanging a banner or backdrop.
Fabrika’s food and beverage minimum still applies — $5,000 Sunday–Thursday, $7,000 Friday, $9,000 Saturday.
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Can we book a corporate or work event?
Yes — happy hours, team nights, client events and holiday parties at all three rooms. At Margolis the private bar minimum comes off a guest-count chart, $1,500 at 50 guests up to $5,000 at 175, the same on any day, with an optional per-person food minimum on top. The Patio is a flat $2,000 midweek / $3,000 weekend, and Fabrika $5,000 midweek against $7,000–$9,000 on a Friday or Saturday. Midweek is the cheap window either way.
A standard event runs four hours, which is exactly a 5 to 9 PM after-work happy hour. Margolis holds up to 175 for a private event; The Patio holds about 150; Fabrika holds 800 standing or 300 seated, and is the room for a whole-company holiday party or an all-hands. The Patio runs four hours and closes at 9 PM under the city curfew, so it fits the happy-hour window and nothing later.
The bar runs on the same four models as any private event, food packages are the same at all three rooms, and the full comparison — minimums, capacities, projection and microphones, worked cost examples — is on the corporate page.
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How much does it cost to rent Margolis for a private event?
A private event at Margolis is a full buyout of the room — up to 175 standing, 40–60 seated. The bar minimum comes off a guest-count chart: up to 50 guests $1,500, up to 70 $2,000, up to 100 $3,500, up to 125 $4,000, up to 150 $4,500, up to 175 $5,000, the same on any day of the week. Food is optional and adds $8–$10 a head on top, which takes the combined minimum to $2,000 at 50 guests and $6,400 at 175. Then 20% automatic gratuity, tax (10% alcohol, 8% food) and 4% on any card payment. Events run a maximum of four hours; longer is $1,000 an hour by prior agreement.
Common occasions: birthdays, corporate and work events, wedding-related parties, holiday parties, album releases and listening sessions, fundraisers, engagements, and private mixers.
The chart figure is a minimum the room has to ring, not a cover charge: guest purchases at the bar count toward it, and you owe a difference only if the night lands under it. The floor exists because even a small buyout takes the whole room off the market for the night.
You choose one of three ways to run the bar — open bar, consumption tab or cash bar — and you can mix them. The minimum applies whichever you pick. Not sure which? Say so on the form and we’ll help you pick.
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How many guests can a private event at Margolis have?
Up to 175 standing guests. That is the ceiling for a private event at Margolis — for anything larger we would talk about Fabrika, which holds 800.
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How many guests can a private event on The Patio have?
Up to 120 standing guests. That is the ceiling out there — Margolis holds 175 and Fabrika 800, so anything larger moves inside.
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Can I add the balcony to a private event?
No — the balcony extension was withdrawn on 4 October 2026. A private event at Margolis is the main room, up to 175 standing. Bookings confirmed before that date keep the terms they were given in writing.
It went when the per-head minimum did. A private event is now priced off one guest-count chart that stops at 175, so there is no add-on to buy and no number above $4,000.
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How many people can be seated at Margolis?
40–60 seated, and up to 175 standing for a private event. Those are the numbers in the room at one time.
Attendance across a whole night can run higher than either figure, because guests turn over — which is why advance ticket sales are capped at 200 per event and the rest is sold at the door, subject to capacity. Neither the presale cap nor a big turnout increases the legal capacity of the room.
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What are the three ways to run the bar at a private event?
Every private event has a bar minimum whichever you pick — the model only decides who pays it. Open bar ($20 per person, per hour before tax and gratuity), consumption tab (drinks covered up to a chosen limit, guests pay after it), or cash bar (guests buy their own, and you cover any shortfall against the minimum).
You can also run a hybrid: open bar for part of the night, then switch to cash bar for the rest.
All three models carry the same minimum for the venue — the model decides who pays it, not how big it is. At Margolis that is the guest-count chart, $1,500 at 50 guests up to $4,000 at 175. At The Patio it is a flat $2,000 Sunday–Thursday and $3,000 Friday and Saturday. At Fabrika it is $5,000 Sunday–Thursday, $7,000 Friday, $9,000 Saturday.
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What is the bar minimum for a private event?
At Margolis and The Patio the bar minimum comes off the same guest-count chart — up to 50 guests $1,500, up to 70 $2,000, up to 100 $3,500, up to 125 $4,000, and at Margolis up to 150 $4,500, up to 175 $5,000 — and the day of the week does not change it. The Patio stops at its 120-guest cap, so its top band is $4,000. Food is optional; taken through our kitchen it adds a per-person minimum of $10 a head up to 70 guests, $9 up to 125 and $8 up to 175, so a combined minimum runs $2,000 at 50 guests to $6,400 at 175. The Patio is a flat $2,000 Sunday–Thursday and $3,000 Friday and Saturday. Guest purchases count toward it; if the room spends less, the host covers the difference. At Fabrika the minimum is $5,000 Sun–Thu, $7,000 Friday, $9,000 Saturday.
It is worked out from the guest count on your booking form and confirmed in writing. Final counts are due 10 days before the event, and a count revised upward at that deadline raises the minimum with it.
The same figure applies whichever bar model you pick, a cash bar included: the minimum is what the room has to ring over the night, and the model only decides whether that comes from the host, the guests, or a mix. An open bar at $20 per person per hour clears it on its own past the first hour.
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How much is an open bar?
Open bar packages run per person, per hour against the venue’s minimum: Wine & Beer $15, Base Level $20, Premium Level $40, Full Menu Open Bar $50 — all with a minimum 2-hour commitment, no shots.
Base Level, $20/person/hour — Stateside vodka, Espolon Blanco tequila, Captain Morgan White rum, Maker’s Mark / Bulleit Bourbon / Bulleit Rye whiskey, Tanqueray gin. No cognac or scotch.
Premium Level, $40/person/hour — Ketel One and Grey Goose vodka, Don Julio Blanco and Reposado, Maker’s Mark / Bulleit Bourbon / Bulleit Rye, Hendricks gin, Captain Morgan Spiced and Malibu Coconut, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Hennessy. Includes Base Level plus house wine and beer (no seltzers).
Wine & Beer Open Bar, $15/person/hour — house wine and beer for the room.
Full Menu Open Bar, $50/person/hour — everything on the full bar menu.
All pricing is non-inclusive of 10% PA sales tax and 20% service charge.
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How long is a private event, and can I extend it?
Four hours. At Margolis additional hours are $1,000 each by prior written agreement. On The Patio there is no extension at all — the city curfew ends every event there at 9 PM.
On The Patio it is four hours with no option to extend — every event there ends at 9 PM by city regulation.
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When are final guest counts and bar selections due?
No later than 10 days before the event date.
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What if my guest count changes after I book?
Move it freely up to the 10-day lock. Final guest count and bar selections are due no later than 10 days before the event, and after that the number is final.
Per-person pricing — hors d’oeuvres, dinner, brunch and the hourly bar packages — is billed on the locked number, so it’s worth getting it right at the deadline rather than before it.
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How do I secure a private event booking?
A card goes on file through a secure step right after you submit the form, and we pre-authorize 25% of your bar minimum on it. That hold is what holds the date. The same card covers a bar-minimum shortfall, damages or fees. It is an authorization rather than a payment, and we never see the card number. Your booking is confirmed once the hold is in place and we have said so in writing; the balance is due on the date of the event.
Booking through a company? We can supply a W-9, a written estimate and an itemised final invoice, and we will put your PO number on both invoices — just ask.
RelatedWhat is the cancellation policy for a private event?Is my date held when I pick it on the calendar?What payment methods do you accept?
What is the cancellation policy for a private event?
More than 14 days before the event: full refund of payments made, excluding the non-refundable deposit. Within 14 days: the deposit is forfeited and 50% of the estimated total event cost is owed. Within 5 days: the full estimated total event cost is owed. Inside 48 hours there is a floor underneath all of it — a kill fee of at least half the bar minimum for your date, capped at $1,500 at Margolis and The Patio. At The Patio that floor applies from the moment the booking is confirmed, not only inside 48 hours.
The kill fee inside 48 hours is the staff, not a penalty. Your bartenders, door and support are scheduled for that night by then and we pay them whether or not the event happens, so a cancellation that late owes at least half the bar minimum for your date — $1,000 midweek or $1,500 on a Friday or Saturday at Margolis and The Patio, where the fee is capped at $1,500 however large the minimum, and $2,500 to $4,500 at Fabrika depending on the day. Where the schedule above produces a larger figure, the larger figure is what applies.
At The Patio that floor starts earlier. A Patio booking is final once the deposit is paid and we have confirmed in writing — the date comes off the calendar and every other enquiry for it is turned down — so the kill fee of half the bar minimum is owed on any cancellation from that point on, with the deposit credited against it. Margolis and Fabrika keep the 48-hour trigger.
RelatedWhat happens if I cancel my event at the last minute?What other fees should I know about?How do I secure a private event booking?Can I get a refund on a reservation?
What other fees should I know about?
A $300 cleaning fee for excessive or unwarranted damage, spills or mess beyond normal use. A $300 smoking fee if evidence of smoking inside is found. Damage to the venue, its furniture or its equipment is a contract violation at a flat $1,500, or the repair bill where that is higher. All fees are due immediately and may be charged to the card on file.
For public events there is a separate schedule: damage is charged at replacement or repair cost plus a 20% administrative fee, failure to clean the DJ booth is $100, and violating the DJ-booth beverage policy is $50 per incident.
RelatedWhat counts as a contract violation, and what does it cost?What is the cancellation policy for a private event?Can I smoke inside?What are the DJ booth rules?What are the conduct and liability rules?
What counts as a contract violation, and what does it cost?
A flat $1,500 each. Property damage, age restriction violation, cancellation or no-show of the event, disorderly conduct, outside alcohol, and exceeding capacity. Where a repair bill or the cancellation terms come to more than $1,500, the larger figure applies.
| Property damage | The venue, its furniture, its fixtures or its equipment. |
|---|---|
| Age restriction violation | Margolis is 21+; every guest presents valid unexpired government-issued photo ID at the door. |
| Cancellation or no-show | Failing to open a confirmed booking, or cancelling outside the cancellation terms. |
| Disorderly conduct | Behaviour requiring the intervention of our staff, our security or the police. |
| Outside alcohol | Alcohol brought in that was not purchased from us. |
| Exceeding capacity | More guests than the confirmed count or the room’s 175 standing limit. |
These terms protect our liquor licence and our guests, so they are not waived. Separate from them, a $300 cleaning fee applies to mess beyond normal use and a $300 smoking fee if there is evidence of smoking inside. Every fee is due immediately and may be charged to the card on file.
RelatedCan people under 21 come to Margolis?What other fees should I know about?What ID do I need to get in?What is the cancellation policy for a private event?
Can I bring my own decorations?
Yes — the private-event form asks whether you’ll be setting up your own decorations, along with any vendor tables or special furniture needs. Tell us the plan and we’ll work out timing.
The form also asks about setup and breakdown time, dress code or theme, lighting or setup requests, and visuals — bring your own, use the house visuals, or none.
RelatedWhen can I load in, and when do I have to be out?Can I bring vendor tables or special furniture to my event?Can I run my own visuals?
Can I book a daytime event?
Yes. Margolis public-event start times run from noon, with a Friday/Saturday noon–9 PM booking window at its own minimum. The Patio is built for daytime — day parties and happy hours, all wrapped by 9 PM. Fabrika books private and daytime events outside its late-night window.
RelatedHow do I host a public event on The Patio?What is the minimum spend to book Margolis for a public event?What hours does Fabrika Events run?What’s in the brunch package?
Can I book a private event on The Patio?
Yes — the whole open-air space, up to about 150 guests standing, with the same four bar models and a $2,000 Sun–Thu / $3,000 Fri–Sat minimum. Every event runs four hours and concludes by 9 PM, no exceptions and no option to extend.
RelatedWhat are the three ways to run the bar at a private event?How long is an event on The Patio?What time does The Patio close?How many people fit on The Patio?What is the cancellation policy for a private event?
Can I book a private event at Fabrika?
Yes — the whole room, 800 standing and 300 seated, with the same four bar models against a day-based minimum: $5,000 Sunday–Thursday, $7,000 Friday, $9,000 Saturday. Automatic gratuity is 20%; tax is 10% alcohol and 8% food.
House audio, lighting, video and rigging are included; DJ equipment is bring-your-own with XLR outputs required. Final counts and bar selections are due 10 days before. There is no live booking form for Fabrika private events yet — get in touch and we’ll walk through it directly.
RelatedWhat is Fabrika’s capacity?What are the three ways to run the bar at a private event?What are Fabrika’s food and beverage minimums?How do I reach a real person?
Spaces
18 answersWhat is Margolis?
Margolis is a cocktail lounge at 9 W Wildey St in Fishtown, Philadelphia — craft cocktails, an evolving food and brunch menu, and a rotating lineup of DJs, live musicians and hosts, night after night.
Nights run the full spectrum: quiet happy hours easing into the week, weekend sets that run right up to our 2 AM close, and everything in between. It’s one room that changes shape depending on who’s holding it that night. Margolis is 21+ every night.
Margolis also books couch reservations, public events hosted by outside DJs and promoters, and full private buyouts.
RelatedWhat is Fabrika?What is The Patio?What’s the difference between Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika?How many people fit at Margolis?Where are the venues? What are the addresses?
What is The Patio?
The Patio is an open-air bar at 1104 Frankford Ave, part of the Fabrika building — hanging ferns, rattan lanterns and a boxwood-lined bar under a retractable canopy. By city regulation every public event on The Patio wraps by 9 PM.
It is built for the early crowd: happy hours, day parties, and gatherings that start while the sun is still up. Same kitchen, same wine and cans as Margolis, with a shorter cocktail list.
RelatedWhat time does The Patio close?How many people fit on The Patio?What is Fabrika?Where are the venues? What are the addresses?What’s on The Patio menu?
What is Fabrika?
Fabrika is a late-night event venue at 1108 Frankford Ave — 800 standing, 300 seated, with a full house audio, lighting, video and rigging rig. Fabrika Events books public parties, private buyouts, DJ nights, celebrations and daytime gatherings.
Fabrika is two experiences in one room. Fabrika Events — public and private bookings — is what this site books. Fabrika Dining — aerial performances, burlesque and drag brunch — is a separate experience with its own booking and tickets at fabrikaphilly.com.
Fabrika connects directly to Margolis and The Patio, so a full-building buyout runs about 1,000 guests across all three.
RelatedI’m looking for the drag brunch or dinner show — is that here?What is Fabrika’s capacity?Can I book the whole building?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Where are the venues? What are the addresses?
What’s the difference between Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika?
Three rooms in Fishtown under one roof of management. Margolis is the intimate cocktail lounge (~150 standing, 9 W Wildey St). The Patio is the open-air bar that closes at 9 PM (~150 standing, 1104 Frankford Ave). Fabrika is the big late-night hall (800 standing / 300 seated, 1108 Frankford Ave).
| Margolis | Cocktail lounge, ~150 standing or 40–60 seated, 21+, late nights to 2 AM, couch reservations, public and private events. |
|---|---|
| The Patio | Open-air bar, ~150 standing, every event runs four hours and ends by 9 PM by city regulation, public and private events. |
| Fabrika | 800 standing / 300 seated, three bars, full house production rig, late-night promoter events and private buyouts. |
The three connect, so all of them together is a full-building buyout of roughly 1,000 guests.
RelatedWhat is Margolis?What is The Patio?What is Fabrika?Can I book the whole building?How many people fit at Margolis?
Where are the venues? What are the addresses?
Margolis is at 9 W Wildey St, Philadelphia, PA 19123. The Patio is at 1104 Frankford Ave. Fabrika is at 1108 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125. All three are in Fishtown.
The Patio is part of the Fabrika building, next door to the main hall. Margolis is a short walk away on W Wildey St, and connects to Fabrika’s mezzanine by its attached second-floor bar.
Fabrika’s phone is 215-203-0202. Margolis’s is 267-277-2053.
RelatedWhere do I park?What’s the difference between Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika?How do I reach a real person?
How many people fit at Margolis?
Margolis holds approximately 150 guests standing at one time, or 40–60 seated. That is the legal capacity — larger attendance estimates over a night depend on guest turnover and do not increase it.
Private buyouts are limited to about 150 standing guests unless the event package is expanded and approved in advance. On public nights, admission is handled one-in-one-out once the room reaches legal capacity.
RelatedWhat happens when the venue reaches capacity?How many guests can a private event at Margolis have?What is Fabrika’s capacity?How many people fit on The Patio?
How many people fit on The Patio?
The Patio holds up to about 150 guests standing, and guest count for public events tops out at 150.
RelatedHow many people fit at Margolis?What is Fabrika’s capacity?What time does The Patio close?Can I book a private event on The Patio?
What is Fabrika’s capacity?
Fabrika holds 800 standing and 300 seated. With Margolis and The Patio added for a full-building buyout, the connected spaces hold about 1,000.
The main hall floor measures 69.5 ft long by 17.5 ft wide with an 8.5 ft ceiling to the mezzanine above. There are three bars — a front and back bar on the main floor plus a bar on the balcony.
RelatedCan I book the whole building?What’s upstairs at Fabrika?How many bars does Fabrika have?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?
Can I book the whole building?
Yes. Fabrika connects directly to Margolis and The Patio, and a full-building buyout of all three connected spaces holds about 1,000 guests.
RelatedWhat is Fabrika’s capacity?What’s the difference between Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika?Can I book a private event at Fabrika?How much does it cost to rent Margolis for a private event?
What’s upstairs at Fabrika?
Fabrika’s mezzanine is the balcony level over the main floor — its own bar, VIP table seating, its own subwoofers and mezzanine speakers, and a direct connection to Margolis’s attached second-floor bar. It is part of Fabrika’s 800 standing / 300 seated capacity rather than carrying a separate published number of its own.
The mezzanine overlooks the stage and the main hall. VIP tables on that level run from 1-bottle minimum tables for 2–5 guests up to 2-bottle minimum tables for 8–10 guests — the interactive floor plan shows which table is which.
RelatedHow do VIP tables work at Fabrika?What is the Margolis second-floor bar?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?What is Fabrika’s capacity?
What is the Margolis second-floor bar?
Margolis has an attached second-floor bar room — roughly 27 ft wide by 25 ft deep — that connects directly to Fabrika’s mezzanine. It has its own bar (about an 11 ft service counter with 13 ft clearance on either side), an ADA lift, and stairs down to Fabrika’s main hall.
RelatedWhat’s upstairs at Fabrika?Are the venues wheelchair accessible?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?
How many bars does Fabrika have?
Three — a front bar and a U-shaped back bar on the main floor, plus a bar on the balcony.
RelatedWhat is Fabrika’s capacity?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?What’s upstairs at Fabrika?
Does Fabrika have a stage?
Yes — an elevated round stage 10 ft in diameter, in the centre of the main hall, with a half-ton high-speed main stage hoist above it and two aerial performance side hoists.
Being raised and central is what makes it work for a keynote or an awards presentation: the speaker has the tables around them rather than off to one side. The DJ booth is separate from the stage and is 11.5 ft wide. Two large chandeliers hang on their own hoists.
RelatedDoes Fabrika have rigging?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Can I bring a live band or live performers?Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?
Where can I see a floor plan or room layout?
Every room is drawn to scale with real dimensions on the Floor Plans page. Tap any room for its measurements, and switch tabs between Fabrika’s first floor, the mezzanine, and Margolis’s attached second-floor bar.
The Fabrika plans are recreated from the official architectural floor plan. VIP tables are marked with their bottle minimums. The Patio’s plan is still being drawn.
RelatedHow do VIP tables work at Fabrika?How many people fit at Margolis?What is Fabrika’s capacity?Where is The Patio’s floor plan?
How do VIP tables work at Fabrika?
Fabrika’s VIP tables carry bottle minimums by size: 1-bottle minimum tables seat 2–5 or 2–4 guests, and 2-bottle minimum tables seat 6–8 or 8–10 guests. The interactive floor plan shows where each one sits on the main floor and the mezzanine.
RelatedWhere can I see a floor plan or room layout?What’s upstairs at Fabrika?Do you offer bottle service?What is a couch reservation?
What happens on The Patio if it rains?
The retractable canopy covers the space, so the event goes ahead as booked.
RelatedWhat is The Patio?What time does The Patio close?Can I book a private event on The Patio?What is the cancellation policy for a private event?
Where is The Patio’s floor plan?
It’s being drawn — Fabrika’s main hall, its mezzanine and the Margolis bar are already on the Floor Plans page, and The Patio joins them soon. In the meantime, ask us and we’ll answer layout questions directly.
RelatedWhere can I see a floor plan or room layout?How many people fit on The Patio?How do I reach a real person?
I’m looking for the drag brunch or dinner show — is that here?
No. That is Fabrika Dining, a separate experience with its own booking and tickets at fabrikaphilly.com. This site books Fabrika Events — public parties and private buyouts.
Fabrika Dining runs aerial performances, burlesque and drag brunch. Fabrika Events books DJ nights, promoter parties, celebrations and daytime gatherings in the same room. On late-night event days the team performs a full room reset between the earlier dinner-theater seating and the night ahead.
RelatedWhat is Fabrika?What is the Fabrika room reset, and how does it affect my setup?What hours does Fabrika Events run?
Food + Drink
12 answersWhat food and drink can I have at my event?
Two different things. The a la carte menus — Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika each run their own — are what the bar and kitchen serve on any night, at any event. The per-person packages (hors d’oeuvres, dinner, brunch, bar packages) are for private events only: booked ahead, priced per guest.
The per-person packages are shared across all three venues. Custom menus are available either way — tell us your vision and any dietary needs on your booking form.
RelatedWhat’s on the Margolis menu?What’s in the hors d’oeuvres package?What’s in the dinner package?What bar packages are available?Can we customize the menu?
What’s in the hors d’oeuvres package?
$45 per person, select 5. Salmon tartare, chicken & cheese empanadas, chicken wings (buffalo, Korean or BBQ), burrata toast, beef meatballs, fried calamari, fried dumplings, spring rolls, fried halloumi cheese. Can be served family style or buffet.
Non-inclusive of 10% PA sales tax and 20% service charge. Available for private events at Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika.
RelatedWhat’s in the dinner package?What’s in the brunch package?What food and drink can I have at my event?Can we customize the menu?
What’s in the dinner package?
$50 per person for one selection per section, or $70 per person for two per section. Sections are salads, hot appetizers, entrees and accompaniments. Can be served family style or buffet.
Salads: tomato salad, beet salad, curry shrimp Caesar, sesame smashed cucumber (vegan), Greek salad.
Hot appetizers: pork belly skewers, shrimp spring rolls, warm wild mushroom tart, truffle fried potatoes, beef short rib arancini.
Entrees: New York strip steak, Mediterranean chicken shish kabob, shrimp shish kabob, vegetable primavera, salmon.
Accompaniments: mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, wild rice, sauteed broccolini.
Non-inclusive of 10% PA sales tax and 20% service charge.
RelatedWhat’s in the hors d’oeuvres package?What’s in the brunch package?Can we customize the menu?Can you handle allergies and dietary restrictions?
What’s in the brunch package?
$30 per person for one selection per section, or $45 per person for two per section — salads, proteins, and main acts (scrambled eggs, cheesy grits, French toast, pancakes). Mimosas can be pre-ordered as bottles of Ma Maison champagne with your choice of juice, $80 per bottle.
Salads: watermelon caprese, curry shrimp Caesar, Greek salad.
Proteins: pork bacon, beef bacon, pork roll, breakfast sausage.
Main acts: scrambled eggs, cheesy grits, French toast, pancakes (plain or blueberry).
Non-inclusive of 10% PA sales tax and 20% service charge.
RelatedWhat’s in the dinner package?Can I book a daytime event?What food and drink can I have at my event?
What bar packages are available?
Four, all with a minimum 2-hour commitment and no shots: Wine & Beer Open Bar $15/person/hour, Base Level $20, Premium Level $40, Full Menu Open Bar $50. Non-inclusive of 10% PA sales tax and 20% service charge.
Base Level $20 — Stateside vodka, Espolon Blanco, Captain Morgan White, Maker’s Mark / Bulleit Bourbon / Bulleit Rye, Tanqueray. No cognac or scotch.
Premium Level $40 — Ketel One and Grey Goose, Don Julio Blanco and Reposado, the same whiskeys, Hendricks, Captain Morgan Spiced and Malibu Coconut, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Hennessy. Includes Base Level plus house wine and beer (no seltzers).
Wine & Beer $15 — house wine and beer for the room.
Full Menu $50 — everything on the full bar menu.
RelatedHow much is an open bar?What are the three ways to run the bar at a private event?What taxes apply?Is gratuity included?
Can you handle allergies and dietary restrictions?
Tell us on the booking form — the private-event form asks directly about allergies, and custom menus are available so we can tailor around dietary needs. The dinner package includes a vegan option (sesame smashed cucumber salad) and a vegetarian entree (vegetable primavera).
RelatedCan we customize the menu?What’s in the dinner package?What food and drink can I have at my event?
Can I use outside catering?
Yes, with advance approval. It may require additional fees, licensing, insurance or other documentation, and outside catering does not grant access to the Margolis kitchen. Outside catering is permitted on The Patio.
RelatedCan I bring my own alcohol?Is the kitchen open during my event?Is there kitchen service on The Patio?Do I need event insurance or a certificate of insurance?
Can I bring my own alcohol?
No. Outside alcohol is never permitted, at any venue, for any kind of event.
RelatedCan I use outside catering?What are the three ways to run the bar at a private event?Do you offer bottle service?
Production
19 answersCan I bring my own DJ?
Yes. Event hosts may bring their own DJ at any of the three venues. DJs are responsible for their own controller or mixer, laptop, adapters and specialty equipment. The venue provides the house sound system, and your setup must have XLR outputs to connect to it.
At Margolis you can also use the house setup instead — a Pioneer XDJ-RX3 and a Yamaha 12-channel mixer are on site. At Fabrika, DJ equipment is bring-your-own for public and private events; Fabrika DJs can be hired for an additional fee.
If more than one DJ is performing at Fabrika, your setup needs multiple MIDI inputs so transitions between DJs are seamless with no dead air. The technical team will assist with integration.
RelatedWhat cables do I need to connect to the house system?What sound equipment does Margolis provide?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Can Fabrika provide a DJ, performers or a host?
What cables do I need to connect to the house system?
XLR. Your controller or mixer must have XLR outputs to connect to the house sound system — bring two XLR cables. House XLRs exist at Margolis, but all other cables are on you.
RelatedCan I bring my own DJ?What sound equipment does Margolis provide?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?What are the DJ booth rules?
What sound equipment does Margolis provide?
A Pioneer XDJ-RX3, a Yamaha 12-channel mixer, one sub, four corner speakers, two projectors, and house XLRs. Door and security staff, bartenders and basic furniture are included. No sound engineer is provided, microphones can’t be guaranteed, and all other cables are on you.
RelatedCan I bring my own DJ?Do you provide microphones?Is a sound engineer provided?What cables do I need to connect to the house system?
What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?
A Midas M32 digital mixer with a Midas DL32 stage box and a Behringer X-Touch controller, 12 Turbosound BERLIN array speakers, 8 QSC subwoofers (4 downstairs, 4 upstairs), 5 Turbosound satellite side speakers, 2 audio monitors, and 2 VIP mezzanine speakers. In the DJ booth: a Pioneer XDJ-RX3, 2 Shure wireless microphones, a Turbosound booth speaker, and a removable round DJ table.
Run by Fabrika’s in-house technical team. DJ equipment itself is bring-your-own for public and private events.
RelatedWhat lighting does Fabrika have?Does Fabrika have projectors or screens?Can I bring my own DJ?What cables do I need to connect to the house system?Do you provide microphones?
What lighting does Fabrika have?
Ten 500W large moving-head LEDs, ten 200W small moving-head LEDs, ten moving wash LEDs, and two large chandeliers. Control runs on an ADJ CompuShow laptop with a MIDI mixer and an ADJ CompuShow DMX box.
RelatedWhat sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Does Fabrika have projectors or screens?Can I request specific lighting?Does Fabrika have a stage?
Does Fabrika have projectors or screens?
Yes — two Panasonic 6,000-lumen projectors and two 135-inch 16:9 ALR projector screens, driven from a MacBook video control laptop, with a projector remote. Margolis has two projectors as part of its house setup.
RelatedCan I run my own visuals?What lighting does Fabrika have?What sound equipment does Margolis provide?
Does Fabrika have rigging?
Yes — a half-ton high-speed main stage hoist, two chandelier hoists, and two aerial performance side hoists.
RelatedDoes Fabrika have a stage?What lighting does Fabrika have?Can I bring a live band or live performers?
Do you provide microphones?
At Margolis, no — microphones can’t be guaranteed, so flag the need early on the booking form so we can plan. At Fabrika, the DJ booth inventory includes two Shure wireless microphones, and the intake form asks whether you need one.
RelatedWhat sound equipment does Margolis provide?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Do you provide a host or MC?Is a sound engineer provided?
Is a sound engineer provided?
Not at Margolis — no sound engineer is provided. Fabrika’s house audio, lighting, video and rigging are run by its own in-house technical team, which will assist with integrating your setup.
RelatedWhat sound equipment does Margolis provide?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Can we do a soundcheck?Who is responsible for production on the night?
Can we do a soundcheck?
A sound check is available but optional. If a DJ or performer chooses not to attend one, Margolis Philly is not liable for sound or technical issues during the event.
DJs and performers must monitor sound levels at all times to prevent equipment damage, and venue staff reserve the right to adjust sound levels at any time.
RelatedIs a sound engineer provided?What are the DJ booth rules?When can I load in, and when do I have to be out?Are there noise restrictions?
What are the DJ booth rules?
All wiring must be neatly arranged and secured. The booth must be returned clean and organized — failure to clean it is a $100 cleaning fee. No drinks are permitted in the DJ booth; violating that is $50 per incident.
DJs and performers must monitor sound levels at all times to prevent equipment damage, and venue staff reserve the right to adjust sound levels at any time. Damage to venue or equipment is charged at replacement or repair cost plus a 20% administrative fee.
RelatedCan we do a soundcheck?What other fees should I know about?What are the conduct and liability rules?What cables do I need to connect to the house system?
Can I bring a live band or live performers?
Yes. Margolis books live music and listening sessions as event types, and the booking form asks whether the night is just DJs, live performers, or both. Private-event hosts choose between a DJ, live band, solo musician or a playlist. Fabrika asks hosts to describe performance details for its technical team.
Bear in mind that Margolis provides no sound engineer and cannot guarantee microphones — a band should plan its own backline and flag mic needs early. Fabrika has a 10-ft round stage, a full house audio rig, and aerial performance hoists.
RelatedDo you provide microphones?Is a sound engineer provided?Does Fabrika have a stage?What sound equipment does Margolis provide?
Can I run my own visuals?
Yes — the private-event form lets you choose to provide your own visuals, use the house visuals, or run none. Margolis has two projectors in its house setup; Fabrika has two 6,000-lumen projectors and two 135-inch screens.
RelatedDoes Fabrika have projectors or screens?What sound equipment does Margolis provide?Can I bring my own decorations?
Can I request specific lighting?
Yes — the private-event booking form has a field for specific lighting or setup requests. At Fabrika the house rig includes moving-head and wash LEDs run by the in-house technical team.
RelatedWhat lighting does Fabrika have?Can I bring my own decorations?Can I run my own visuals?
When can I load in, and when do I have to be out?
Arranged per event. Tell us what you need for setup and breakdown on the booking form and we’ll agree the window with you.
The one fixed case is Fabrika on a Friday or Saturday late night: the room resets between 9 and 10 PM after the earlier dinner-theater seating, and the event runs 10 PM–2 AM. Plan your arrival around that.
RelatedWhat is the Fabrika room reset, and how does it affect my setup?Can I bring my own decorations?Can we do a soundcheck?Can I bring vendor tables or special furniture to my event?
Are there noise restrictions?
All performances must comply with local noise ordinances, and venue staff reserve the right to adjust sound levels at any time. On The Patio, city regulation ends every public event at 9 PM.
RelatedWhat time does The Patio close?What are the DJ booth rules?Can we do a soundcheck?
Can Fabrika provide a DJ, performers or a host?
Yes, for an additional fee. The Fabrika intake form lets you request a Fabrika DJ, Fabrika performers, or a Fabrika host/MC — or provide your own for each.
RelatedCan I bring my own DJ?Do you provide a host or MC?Can I bring a live band or live performers?How does booking an event at Fabrika work?
Do you provide a host or MC?
At Fabrika, yes — a host or MC can be required from Fabrika for an additional fee, or you can provide your own, or skip it. It’s a question on the intake form.
RelatedCan Fabrika provide a DJ, performers or a host?Do you provide microphones?How does booking an event at Fabrika work?
Who is responsible for production on the night?
You are, for your own equipment and performance. Margolis provides the room, house sound, door and security staff, bartenders and basic furniture — but no sound engineer, and microphones aren’t guaranteed. Fabrika runs its own house audio, lighting, video and rigging with an in-house technical team that assists with integrating your setup.
Final details, timing and logistics for a Fabrika event are set out in the official agreement Fabrika issues after the intake form is submitted.
RelatedIs a sound engineer provided?What sound equipment does Margolis provide?What sound equipment does Fabrika provide?Do I need to provide my own door person or security?
Tickets + Payments
20 answersWhat is the minimum for a residency night?
The same ladder as any Margolis event: $1,500 Tuesday through Thursday and on Sunday in any window, $2,000 on a Friday or Saturday finishing by 9 PM, $5,000 on a Friday or Saturday running 9 PM to 2 AM, plus $500 on any night the kitchen is open. You cover the shortfall if sales land under it.
| Night and window | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Tue–Thu and Sunday, any window | $1,500 |
| Fri & Sat, finishing by 9 PM | $2,000 |
| Fri & Sat, 9 PM–2 AM | $5,000 |
| Kitchen open | + $500 |
There is no separate residency rate: these are the minimums for every Margolis event. The application asks whether you want the kitchen open and quotes you the figure including it. On a 9 PM–2 AM night the kitchen serves until last orders at 11 PM.
RelatedWhat is a residency here, and how do I get one?What is the minimum spend to book Margolis for a public event?What happens if I don’t hit the minimum?
What holds the date — a deposit or a card hold?
A pre-authorized hold on the card you put on file, for 25% of your room’s minimum. At Margolis the minimum comes off the guest-count chart, so the hold follows your headcount — $375 on a $1,500 minimum, $1,600 on a $6,400 one. The Patio is on the same chart, capped at 120 guests, so its hold runs $375 to $1,270; Fabrika is $1,250 Sun–Thu / $1,750 Friday / $2,250 Saturday. It is an authorization, not a payment taken at booking.
The hold is what holds your date: the booking is confirmed once the authorization is in place and we have confirmed in writing. The held amount is non-refundable if you cancel — that is what makes it a hold rather than a pencil-in.
A payment card also goes on file. The card is not the deposit and is not charged when you book; it covers a bar-minimum shortfall, damages or fees as set out in your terms.
RelatedCan you invoice our company? Do you have a W-9?What are the three ways to run the bar at a private event?What is the cancellation policy for a private event?Can we book a corporate or work event?
Can you invoice our company? Do you have a W-9?
Yes. The deposit is invoiced rather than taken by card, so it can go through accounts payable, and we can put your PO number on it. A W-9, a written estimate and an itemised final invoice are all available on request.
Payment on the deposit invoice by ACH, check, or card by telephone. The remaining balance is due on the date of the event.
This is deliberate: a company’s accounts-payable department generally cannot authorise an open card preauthorization, and asking a planner to put a personal card up to hold a $9,000 room is not reasonable. A card still goes on file for a shortfall, damages and fees, but it is not how the date is held.
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What taxes apply?
10% on alcohol and 8% on food. Menu and package pricing is quoted before tax.
For host payouts, sales and alcohol taxes are excluded from eligible net venue sales — your percentage is calculated after they come off.
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Is gratuity included?
A 20% automatic gratuity applies to all bills at private events, and package pricing is quoted before it. Gratuity is excluded from eligible net venue sales for host payouts.
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How many advance tickets can I sell?
Presale (advance) tickets are capped at 200 per event. That cap applies only to presale — it doesn’t limit total attendance.
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Can I keep selling at the door?
Yes. Once presale is exhausted or you’ve hit 200, additional admission may be sold at the door, subject to the venue’s legal capacity and real-time availability.
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What ticketing platform do I use?
Your own. Presale revenue pays out through your ticketing platform directly, and you submit your ticket link to us at least 10 days before the event. The private-event form asks which RSVP service you use — Posh, Eventbrite or similar.
Margolis also runs its own early-reservation flow on the Upcoming Events listing for nights before an official ticket link goes live; those run through Square checkout.
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How do guest lists and comps work?
Complimentary guest lists must be submitted at least 2 hours before the event. Otherwise, every guest pays at the door.
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Is there a card processing fee?
Yes — 4% on any amount paid by card. It applies to the payment itself, so a bar-minimum shortfall settled on the card carries it too, on top of the 10% tax and 20% gratuity on that shortfall.
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Do DJs and performers get a discount?
Yes — DJs, hosts and performers receive 50% off personal food and beverage purchases during the event, at Margolis and on The Patio. Bottles are the exception: those are 25% off.
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When do I get paid?
Presale revenue is 100% yours and comes straight from your ticketing platform. Your share of door revenue is sent via Zelle within 24–48 hours of your event. Venue-sales payouts (your 15% or 10% share) are processed by check the Thursday after your event, ready for pickup at the bar any time we’re open.
Zelle information on your booking form must match your W-9. Door payments must go through Zelle.
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How am I paid — Zelle, check, or something else?
Three streams, three methods. Presale pays through your own ticketing platform. Door revenue pays via Zelle. Venue-sales percentage pays by check, picked up at the bar. Cash App and Venmo are never used.
Both the "make check payable to" name and the Zelle information you give on the booking form must match your W-9.
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Do I need to submit a W-9?
Yes, before your first payout — and one W-9 on file covers every event we book you for going forward. You can upload it with your booking form or email it to ruby@margolisphilly.com before your event.
Tax and payout onboarding is handled through a dedicated step on the form and stored securely; it is never posted publicly. Event hosts, DJs, performers or contractors who receive payouts totaling more than $600 in a calendar year may be issued a Form 1099-NEC.
The official IRS W-9 is fillable in your browser — type your info, save it as a PDF, and upload it.
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What happens if a payment is disputed or refunded?
Refunds, disputes and chargebacks are deducted from the admission revenue they came from — presale chargebacks against your presale, door disputes against the door pool before it is split — prior to payout.
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What is the 5% door service charge?
A 5% service charge applies to all credit card transactions processed at the door by Jubyr LLC. It covers Square’s processing fees and the cost of issuing W-9s and payout forms during tax season.
It can be waived only if the event host provides their own dedicated door staff and uses a legitimate tap-to-pay platform such as Square or Stripe, or a mandatory pre-sale ticketing system.
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Can I take door payments through Cash App or Venmo?
No. Cash App and Venmo are never permitted for door transactions. Use a legitimate tap-to-pay platform such as Square or Stripe, or a mandatory pre-sale ticketing system.
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What payment methods do you accept?
Cash and credit card at the bar. Private-event bookings are secured with a card on file through a secure Square step, and the remaining balance is due on the date of the event. Reservations and couch fees are paid through Square checkout links.
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Can I get a refund on a ticket?
Tickets bought through a host’s own ticketing platform are subject to that host’s refund policy — contact the event organizer. Margolis early reservations are non-refundable, though transfers to another night are allowed up to 48 hours before the event, and if a night goes invite-only you are refunded in full.
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How does the deal differ between Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika?
Margolis: you keep 100% of presale, 50% or 100% of the door depending on whether you’re recurring, and 10–15% of eligible net venue sales, against a minimum. The Patio: 100% of admission revenue plus 10% of net venue sales for a ticketed event, or 15% for a free one. Fabrika: you keep 100% of door and ticket revenue and pay your own talent, and earn commission on bar sales — 5% after $10,000, 10% after $15,000, 20% after $20,000.
The difference is structural, not cosmetic. At Margolis and The Patio the venue provides the room and you meet a minimum. At Fabrika the venue keeps food and beverage and runs the night, and your upside is the door plus commission.
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Policies
11 answersWhat happens if I cancel my event at the last minute?
Cancelling within 48 hours of your event carries a kill fee of half the bar minimum for your date, capped at $1,500 at Margolis and The Patio. Cancel with more than 48 hours’ notice and there is no fee at all. At The Patio the same 50% applies to any cancellation once your booking is confirmed, not only a late one. It applies to every booking in every room — public nights, private events and residencies alike.
It is the staff, not a penalty for changing your mind. By 48 hours out your bartenders, door and security are scheduled for that night, and we pay them whether or not it goes ahead — so half the minimum is roughly what the room costs to open for nobody.
| Your minimum | Kill fee inside 48 hours |
|---|---|
| $1,500 — Margolis, Sun and Tue–Thu | $750 |
| $2,000 — Margolis, Fri/Sat by 9 PM, or a private event midweek | $1,000 |
| $3,000 — a private event on a Friday or Saturday | $1,500 |
| $4,000 — a 200-guest private event at Margolis | $1,500 (capped) |
| $5,000 — Margolis, Fri/Sat 9 PM–2 AM | $1,500 (capped) |
| $5,000 — Fabrika, Sun–Thu | $2,500 |
| $7,000 — Fabrika, Friday | $3,500 |
| $9,000 — Fabrika, Saturday | $4,500 |
The Patio’s public-event minimums run $1,000 to $2,500 by day, so the fee there is $500 to $1,250 and the cap never bites. Whatever minimum your booking already carries, the kill fee is half of it — up to $1,500 at Margolis and The Patio, where the fee stops. Fabrika is uncapped.
The fee comes out of any payout owed to you and is otherwise invoiced, payable within 14 days. On a private event it is a floor rather than a replacement: that booking’s own cancellation schedule already charges 50% of the estimated total inside 14 days and the full estimate inside 5, and where those come to more, the larger figure applies.
The Patio works differently. Out there the kill fee is owed on any cancellation from the moment your booking is confirmed in writing, not only inside 48 hours — confirming a date means taking it off the calendar and turning down every other enquiry for it, and a date handed back late cannot realistically be re-sold. The rate and the cap are the same, so it is $500 to $1,250 on a public event and $1,000 or $1,500 on a private one.
At Margolis and Fabrika, tell us the moment you know: there is no fee whatsoever outside 48 hours, and an early call means we can often move the date instead of losing it.
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What are the house rules at the bar?
Printed on the menu, meant literally: have fun and be respectful; cocktails are made fresh to order, so be patient; wait to be acknowledged rather than shouting orders; be ready with your order and payment; no yelling, snapping, whistling, non-consensual touching or aggressive behavior; return glassware to the bar when you can.
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Can I smoke inside?
No. Smoking and illegal substances are prohibited inside the venue. A $300 smoking fee applies to a private event if evidence of smoking is found.
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What are the conduct and liability rules?
All talent and organizers must treat the venue respectfully. The venue is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items. Damage to venue property or equipment results in repair or replacement charges — for public events, at cost plus a 20% administrative fee.
Venue staff reserve the right to modify or end an event for safety, policy or equipment concerns. All performances must comply with local noise ordinances. Smoking and illegal substances are prohibited inside.
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Can I use an AI-generated flyer?
No. AI-generated flyers will not be approved.
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Can I bring a photographer or videographer to my event?
Yes, but all filming needs approval first. Anything beyond a casual phone photo — a photographer, a videographer, professional cameras, lighting or a crew — has to be cleared with us in advance.
Event hosts list their outside vendors, including photographers and videographers, on the booking form — that’s how the approval happens. If you’re a guest with a camera rather than a host, ask before you shoot.
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Can I rent the space for a photo or video shoot?
Yes. Commercial shoots are priced case by case — it depends on the room, the day and the size of the crew, so schedule a call and we’ll work it out.
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How do press and media get in touch?
Email <a href="mailto:ruby@margolisphilly.com">ruby@margolisphilly.com</a> — same address as everything else, no separate press channel.
The Photo Gallery has the full set of on-site venue photography if you need images, and this page has every published policy, price and specification in one place.
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Where can I see photos of the venues?
The Photo Gallery page has the full set of on-site photography — nights, sets, and the space itself. Each venue page also runs its own gallery strip.
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What happens to the information I put in a booking form?
Booking and reservation forms are submitted to Jubyr LLC, which administers event bookings for all three venues. Marketing contact is always optional and never required to book, and your information is never sold. Tax and payout documents are stored securely and never posted publicly.
Marketing opt-in is a separate checkbox on every form: message frequency varies, message and data rates may apply, reply STOP to opt out and HELP for help. Full Privacy Policy and Terms.
Who is Jubyr LLC?
Jubyr LLC administers event bookings for Margolis, The Patio and Fabrika Events. Booking requests are reviewed by Jubyr, written acceptance comes from Jubyr, and door payouts and tax paperwork are handled by Jubyr.
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Talk to a real person.
If you couldn’t find your answer here, grab fifteen minutes with Ruby. No obligation — good for weighing a date, talking through pricing, or asking something this page doesn’t cover yet.