Questions, answered.

The things people ask us most. Anything else, ask a bartender or email the events team.

How do I book an event at PubKey DC?

Use the booking form on this site. Tell us the date, the headcount, and what you're planning, and the events team will get back to you with availability and pricing. If your date is taken, we'll tell you what's open that night or on nearby nights. Prefer email? Write to [email protected].

How does pricing work?

There's no rental fee. Most events carry a food and beverage minimum that varies by space, date, and headcount, with tax and gratuity added on top. A/V and production add-ons are priced individually, and those fees can shrink or disappear at certain spend levels. The events team shares exact numbers when you inquire at [email protected] or through the booking form.

What are your food and beverage minimums?

They go with the space. A partial ballroom for up to 40 guests is bar tab only: a two-hour minimum, no spend minimum. The full ballroom, seating 50 to 150, carries a $2,500 food and beverage minimum over two hours. The ballroom plus the event bar, up to 250 guests, is $7,500 over three hours. Full venue buyouts go up to $40,000, depending on the date and hours. Tax and gratuity are added on top. Packages and pricing has the current tiers.

How many guests can you fit?

It depends on the room. The pub seats 60 or holds 100 standing, and the event bar is the same. The basement seats 75 or holds 100. The ballroom seats 150, holds 200 standing, and opens to 250-plus when the garage doors connect it to the event bar. A full buyout of all 12,000 square feet holds up to 550. The venue lists every space with its capacities.

Can you feed our group?

Yes. The kitchen's signature style is food made to pair with drinks and share with friends. For events it does passed apps, stations, plated dinners, beefsteaks, breakfast, and boxed lunches. Browse the menus and the events team will shape one to fit your party.

Can guests pay for their own drinks, or can I run a tab?

Either works. You can run a tab for the group, cap it at a set amount, or let guests pay as they go. Drink tickets or a hosted first round work too, and they count toward your minimum. For separate tabs within your group, ask the events team.

How do I hold the date? Is there a deposit?

Bookings with no minimum need no deposit: a signed card authorization form holds the date. Packages with a minimum spend take a 50% deposit, and corporate bookings get a contract.

Do I have to rent the whole venue for a private event?

No. We host private and semi-private events without a full buyout. Reserve a single space like the basement or the event bar, take a section of the pub, or scale all the way up to the full 12,000 square feet. The basement is fully private, and the ballroom and event bar are private when you book them. For a small group, we can hold a corner of the event bar on request.

Can we rent the whole place?

Yes! The pub, the event bar, and the ballroom run separately or as one big room, and the basement keeps smaller gatherings intimate. A full buyout gives you all 12,000 square feet for up to 550 guests. See the venue for every space.

Can I see the space before booking?

Yes. The venue has photos and layouts for every space, and you're welcome to visit. Weekdays between 3 and 5 PM are the quietest time for a look.

What bar packages do you offer?

Three open bar tiers, priced per guest for two hours, with three-hour rates alongside them. The Local is draft beer, house red and white, and non-alcoholic drinks at $38 ($50 for three hours). The Regular adds well spirits and basic cocktails at $55 ($72). The Reserve is top-shelf spirits, craft cocktails, an expanded wine list, and the full draft selection at $72 ($90). The whole group has to be on the same package. Zero-proof runs alongside: soft drinks and coffee at $8 a guest, crafted non-alcoholic cocktails at $24. A hosted bar tab instead of a package is fine too. Packages and pricing lists it all.

Can we bring our own birthday cake?

Yes. Outside cake and desserts are welcome for a plating fee of $45. Tell the events team when you book and we'll have plates and utensils standing by. No other outside food is allowed.

What are your hours, and how late can we stay?

We open at 3 PM on weekdays and at noon on weekends. We close at 1 AM Sunday through Tuesday and at 2 AM Wednesday through Saturday. The kitchen serves until midnight.

Can we play our own music, or bring a DJ or a band?

Yes. Playlists, DJs, and bands all plug into the house sound system. The house DJ gear shows what's already here.

Can we bring in an outside caterer?

No. All food comes out of our own kitchen. The catering menus run from passed and presented apps to buffets, and the kitchen also does plated service for formal events, so the events team can shape a menu around your program. The one exception is cake and dessert, which you are welcome to bring for a $45 plating fee.

Can we decorate or put up signs?

Yes. Decorations, signs, and banners are all welcome.

What A/V and production gear do you have?

A stage, a PA, DJ equipment, an LED screen, and a full podcast studio with cameras and microphones. Livestreaming is available too. The production page lists all of it.

Can we show slides or video?

Yes. The ballroom’s 10-foot screen covers what a projector would, and it takes any device with an HDMI output. Bring a laptop and plug in. Audio from that same device plays through the ballroom PA, and for a larger event we can run it through the whole bar. See our production page for a full list of our gear.

How many microphones do you have?

Four handheld wireless mics in the ballroom — enough for a panel and a moderator. No lavaliers. They run through the room’s own PA, which can also carry sound to the rest of the bar for a larger event. See our production page for a full list of our gear.

Do you have a stage?

Yes. The ballroom has a built-in 20-foot stage, with a line-array PA, a stage-sized LED wall, wireless mics, DMX lighting, and broadcast PTZ cameras installed around it and run by people who work here. Production has the full rundown, and the ballroom shows the room.

Can our event be ticketed or open to the public?

Yes. We can co-host it with you on Luma.

Is there a bar in our room?

The event bar and the basement each have their own bar. The ballroom opens onto the event bar through garage doors.

What's the cancellation policy?

For bookings held with a card authorization form, the card is charged only if you don't show up, or if you cancel within a month of the event. Deposits on paid packages are non-refundable within 30 days of the event.

Can you set up tables, chairs, or theater rows? Can we come early?

Yes. Tell us the layout you want and the venue manager will confirm it; the venue shows the layouts each space supports. Early access for setup is decided case by case, so ask the events team.

Do you have high-top tables or pipe and drape?

No, we don't carry either. If you'd like high-tops, or pipe and drape in the ballroom for privacy or decoration, rent them from a local rental company and schedule delivery for the day of your event; we can receive them during the day before things start. Schedule pickup for the day after your event. Coordinate the delivery and pickup times with your PubKey event coordinator.

Can you record or livestream our event?

Yes. Livestreaming is $750 for three hours, plus $150 for each hour after that. The podcast studio is $350. See production for the full setup.

When do you need a final headcount?

By noon, three business days before your event.

Can a brand sponsor the drinks?

Yes, but outside bottles aren't allowed. The brand buys its product through us or funds a tab, and our bartenders pour it.

What kinds of events do you host?

Comedy shows, live music, karaoke nights, meetups, conferences, corporate events, receptions, birthday and engagement parties, wedding welcome drinks, movie screenings, watch parties, podcast recordings, and full-venue buyouts.

Can we hold a reception in a separate space from our program?

Yes. The ballroom and the event bar are separate rooms joined by garage doors, so a panel or a presentation in the ballroom can open straight into a reception in the event bar without moving anyone across the building. The basement is another self-contained option, with its own bar.

Can PubKey DC host upscale or formal events?

Yes. The ballroom and event bar are a blank canvas, and production crews transform them regularly. SeedAI's American AI Festival, a national convening of policymakers, researchers, and founders, took over the full venue and transformed it into a polished, upscale space for keynotes, panels, and an evening reception. Galas, fundraisers, award dinners, and product launches are all welcome, with plated dinner service available from the kitchen.

How do you handle security and guest check-in for private events?

Our security team checks IDs at the door. Checking guests in for your event is up to your team. For a full buyout, post someone at the entrance next to our security staff. Our host stand and coat check are yours to use. For a partial booking, the pub stays open to the public, so set up check-in at your event space. Running a hosted tab? We’ll provide wristbands so only your guests can order on it. Name tags work too.

Is PubKey DC wheelchair accessible?

Yes. A ramp at the front entrance takes you straight into the bar, and an accessible elevator runs down to the bathrooms on the lower level.

How do I pay?

By card on the night, or by invoice. Pay your tab in bitcoin and we take 21% off.

Do I need to know anything about Bitcoin?

No. PubKey is a Bitcoin bar, but a great night here requires zero Bitcoin knowledge. If you do pay your tab in bitcoin, we knock a steep 21% off it.

Ready when you are. Book your event.