What top nightclubs know about long lines that you don’t

Somewhere Nowhere cracked the code on long lines. How a rooftop nightclub, 38 floors above its entrance, turned a logistical bottleneck into a seamless, standout experience.

Snow whips down Sixth Avenue as you step through the Renaissance NY Chelsea Hotel and spy a neon-lit sign that simply reads “Somewhere Nowhere.” A host collects your parka as you tap your phone number into an iPad, and hands you nothing in return.

“No little coat check ticket?” you say to yourself.

Then your phone buzzes with a text from Somewhere Nowhere, confirming your parka is checked and safe.

“Hm! Cool!!” 

Moments later, the nightclub’s elevator doors glide open in the lobby and whisk you up to the 38th-floor rooftop lounge, revealing a garden of disco balls and a panoramic, birds-eye view of a twinkling New York skyline. Teardrop igloos sparkle like oversized snow globes across the rooftop, each furnished with cozy loveseats, faux-fur throws, and flickering fireplaces. 

“Coming up here into this luxury igloo,” says PJ Rowan, the GM and mastermind behind Somewhere Nowhere, “and then sitting in front of the most popular and essential building in the world [gesturing to the Empire State Building over his left shoulder], experiences are very important to us. So whether it’s food, beverages, atmosphere, music, or how you get your coat at the end of the night, it’s really important to us.”

Rowan knows better than anyone in New York how even a seemingly minor detail (like checking your coat) can make or break a guest’s experience. 

Somewhere Nowhere operates with just two elevators connecting its street-level coatroom to the rooftop dance floor above, a vertical journey that feels like entering another world. While the ascent is magical, getting hundreds of guests up and down without a long line is no easy feat. Behind the velvet ropes and birds ' nest views lies meticulous planning. At the heart of that strategy is Chexology, turning what once was a logistical nightmare into a seamless, premium experience.

As PJ and I settle comfortably inside one of the club’s heated igloos, he recalls what nightlife used to look like before their digital coat check solution.

“I remember when we didn't have Chexology,” PJ says with a slight shake of his head. “It was our paper coat check tickets. It was a mess! There were moments when we actually had to pay for someone's coat because something went wrong throughout the night. It's hard to really track with a paper ticket, you know? Guests would find a random coat check ticket on the ground, and if someone’s not honest, they're going to go home with someone else's jacket.”

PJ pauses, leaning back on the plush cushions, clearly relieved that those days are behind him. “With Chexology, everything is recorded. It’s in a database. It’s through our customer’s phone, through our app. It just makes the guests' and my life a lot easier.”

“With Chexology, everything is recorded. It’s in a database. It’s through our customer’s phone, through our app. It just makes the guests' and my life a lot easier.”

He points toward the rooftop elevator—the only access point between Somewhere Nowhere’s iconic rooftop and the lobby coatroom below. This elevator, a key experience in the venue’s allure, creates a natural bottleneck, making it uniquely challenging to move guests up and down efficiently.

“As the guests are leaving, when they get queued up, their coat is ready as soon as they go downstairs! So that's an experience in and of itself,” PJ explains. “Chexology solves our biggest logistical challenge, moving hundreds of people quickly from our amazing rooftop down to our lobby and getting them out fast.”

He leans forward slightly, emphasizing the seamless guest experience, “Chexology has been very useful. Their ticket is texted to their phone. If they lose their phone, we can still get their coat through the last four digits of their cell phone number. So it’s just a much quicker process of getting them checked, getting them upstairs, having a great experience, and then getting their coat very quickly on their exit.”

When I ask him if there’s anything he wishes other nightclubs knew about Chexology, he pauses, smiles, and states, “I feel like any venue can use it. It could be a small venue or a large concert venue, it just works!”

“I feel like any venue can use it. It could be a small venue or a large concert venue, it just works!”

How Chexology’s long line busting technology works in nightclubs

“Nowhere” in New York is the exit challenge clearer than at Somewhere Nowhere. If Chexology can solve the coat check chaos for a rooftop club with only two elevators, it can streamline the end-of-night exit experience for any nightclub. Here’s how it works: 

1. Guests are digitally queued at the back of the line, not the front. An attendant greets guests at the back of the line and quickly enters the last four digits of their phone number into Chexology’s app.

2. Requests are sent to the coatroom’s iPad. The coatroom team is alerted of upcoming hanger tag numbers, along with helpful photos of the coat and its owner. 

3. Coats magically await guests as they approach the counter. As the guest reaches the coat check counter, their items are magically waiting. There is no searching or fumbling for tickets. Just grab and go! 

   
   

The result? A frictionless exit experience that leaves guests smiling, even at peak hours. 

“It took 45 minutes on sold-out nights to get through the pick-up line. Now that we can see the groups ahead of time, it’s under 10 minutes.”  ~ Matt Allen, Director of Operations at BNEG

Join NYC’s growing list of concert halls and nightclub venues that are going digital! From the Barclays Center to underground dance floors, New York City’s most in-demand venues are ditching paper tickets and embracing Chexology. Whether it’s a 500-person warehouse in Brooklyn or a velvet-rope rooftop in Midtown, clubs are turning to digital nightclub systems to move lines faster, boost satisfaction, and elevate the entire guest experience. Join our growing list of happy clients who are enjoying the speed of Chexology! 

Author’s note: This story was reported on-site in winter, inside Igloo #4 at Somewhere Nowhere NYC, over a round of espresso martinis. A big thank you to PJ Rowan for showing us one of the best views in Manhattan and sharing his New York nightclub experience with us.

Nightclub FAQ: everything you wanted to know about coat check for nightclubs in NYC

1. How can nightclubs speed up long lines during peak hours?

Nightclubs can eliminate long waits by using Chexology’s digital line-busting technology, which queues guests at the back of the line and prepares their coats before they reach the counter.

2. What is the best coat check solution for rooftop bars and nightclubs like Somewhere Nowhere?

Chexology is the preferred solution for venues with complex logistics, like elevators or limited space, thanks to its ticketless, app-based system and instant queueing feature.

3. How does Chexology’s coat check system work without paper tickets?

Guests provide their phone number, and their items are tagged digitally. The system tracks everything via app and SMS, making pickups quick, secure, and completely paper-free.

4. What happens if a guest loses their phone after checking a coat with Chexology?

No problem! Staff can retrieve items by verifying the last four digits of the guest’s phone number, ensuring a smooth experience even without access to the original text.

5. Can Chexology reduce guest complaints at the coat check?

Yes. By removing human error, lost tickets, and slow service, Chexology significantly reduces complaints and improves guest satisfaction across the board. 

6. Where can I buy cheap coat check tickets?

The best way to buy cheaper coat check or cloakroom tickets is to just eliminate them altogether. Chexology’s ticket-less coat check system can handle thousands of items per night while cutting retrieval times, helping venues like Tao Group and Live Nation move crowds with ease.

7. Is Chexology only for large nightclubs, or can small venues use it too?

While Chexology is already in some of the world's largest concert venues, it is scalable for venues of any size, from boutique nightclubs to stadium-scale events. If you check coats or bags, Chexology just works.

8. How does Chexology improve staff efficiency for a coat check?

Staff can view upcoming guests in real time, see photos and hanger numbers, and prepare items in advance, making their job easier and faster with fewer mistakes.

9. Is Chexology cheaper than my existing paper ticket coat check?

Most often, yes. Chexology saves nightclubs money in many ways, one of them being a reduction in lost and damaged items. Photo security prevents lost revenue due to theft. Faster lines mean guests can spend more time at the bar ordering drinks. Lastly, club owners can raise coat check pricing to match the elevated experience without customers batting an eye. 

10. Why are NYC venues switching to digital coat check systems?

The smoother exits and texting marketing opportunities are no brainers for improving the guest experience. Venues are ditching paper to create elevated, high-touch guest experiences. Chexology is leading the way across New York City’s most iconic nightclubs.