The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store is a privately held, 50+ year-old stand-up comedy nightclub on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, with a second location in La Jolla. It operates three performance rooms running nightly shows, monetizing 21+ audiences via tickets, a 2-drink minimum, on-site Ciro's Pizza, and branded merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Comedy Store does
The Comedy Store is a privately held stand-up comedy nightclub founded on April 7, 1972, operating from the iconic 8433 Sunset Boulevard address in Los Angeles, with a second location at 916 Pearl St in La Jolla, California. The Hollywood flagship houses three distinct performance rooms — the Main Room (Mitzi Shore's headliner showcase), the Original Room (the venue's 1972 birthplace and intimate late-night space), and the Belly Room (a second-floor testing ground for developing comedians built by Yakov Smirnoff). Programming runs 7 nights per week across multiple show formats including The Originals, Headliners, Best of the Store XL, Roast Battle, Sunday Potluck, and Horribly Funny, plus open mics and educational stand-up workshops in La Jolla.
The venue's primary technology is the Yondr phone-free system, which locks guest phones in cases during shows to protect performer material and create a focused audience experience. Ticketing is centralized on Showclix and Leapevents, with the venue explicitly refusing third-party resold tickets. F&B is anchored by a mandatory 2-drink minimum per attendee and an on-site Ciro's Pizza restaurant at the Hollywood location, and the company also operates a branded merchandise e-commerce store.
Commercially, The Comedy Store is a B2C live entertainment business monetizing individual ticket buyers, on-site beverage minimums, food sales, and merchandise. Distribution is event-driven: nightly shows promoted through organic social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube), an email newsletter, and comedian-driven word-of-mouth. The customer base comprises 21+ comedy enthusiasts (both local regulars and tourists) and the comedians themselves, who use the venue as a career-launching performance platform. The company employs 51–100 people, has no public listing, and shows no evidence of institutional investment or acquisition activity.
The Comedy Store firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Comedy Store
- Legal name
- The Comedy Store
- Website
- https://thecomedystore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Comedy Store is a privately held, 50+ year-old stand-up comedy nightclub on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, with a second location in La Jolla. It operates three performance rooms running nightly shows, monetizing 21+ audiences via tickets, a 2-drink minimum, on-site Ciro's Pizza, and branded merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Comedy Store is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Comedy Store business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: The Comedy Store generates primary revenue through ticket sales for nightly comedy shows. Tickets are sold through Showclix and Leapevents platforms. 3rd party tickets are not accepted.
- Food and Beverage: Revenue from Ciro's Pizza and bar sales. All shows require a 2 drink minimum per person, which can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. Popcorn is also sold.
- Merchandise: Sale of Comedy Store branded merchandise including apparel items like the ¾ sleeve raglan shirt.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission with 2 Drink Minimum |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Comedy Store product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Comedy Store operates a live stand-up comedy nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood with three performance rooms (Main Room, Original Room, and Belly Room) hosting nightly headline, showcase, and developing-talent shows seven nights a week. A second location in La Jolla, California replicates the format and also offers an in-person six-week stand-up workshop. Ancillary revenue comes from a 2-drink food and beverage minimum, on-site Ciro's Pizza, and branded merchandise.
Product overview
The Comedy Store is a legendary comedy club venue offering live stand-up comedy performances through three distinct showroom experiences: the Main Room (the flagship showroom for headliners), the Original Room (the historic room where the club began in 1972), and the Belly Room (a testing ground for developing comedians). The company also operates a second location in La Jolla, California. The product portfolio includes comedy shows ranging from headline performances (The Originals, Headliners of the OR, Best of the Store XL) to specialty formats (Potluck shows, Roast Battle, Horribly Funny), educational programming (in-person stand-up comedy workshops), and merchandise sales. The venue uses Yondr bags to create phone-free spaces and partners with ShowClix and LeapEvents for ticketing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Comedy Store La Jolla: Second location of the comedy club in La Jolla, San Diego, California
- Ciro's Pizza
Products and services
- The Comedy Store Main Room The main showroom at The Comedy Store Hollywood, created by Mitzi Shore, designed to feature established comedy heavyweights, headline acts, and surprise pop-ins. It is the largest performance space at the venue and serves adult comedy audiences (21+) seeking marquee stand-up acts.
- The Original Room The historic performance room where The Comedy Store began on April 7, 1972, featuring intimate shows and late-night sets for superstar comedians testing material and finding their voices. Used for formats such as The Originals, Headliners of the OR, and Sunday Headliners.
- The Belly Room A second-floor testing ground at The Comedy Store Hollywood for developing comedians, built by Yakov Smirnoff and his father. It has operated for four decades as a launching pad for new comedy voices and hosts popular shows and podcasts.
- The Comedy Store La Jolla The Comedy Store's second physical location in La Jolla, California, at 916 Pearl St, serving the San Diego market. It hosts live stand-up comedy shows and offers tickets, classes, and information similar to the main Hollywood venue.
- In-Person All Levels Stand-Up Workshop A six-week in-person stand-up comedy workshop at The Comedy Store La Jolla, taught by Lisa Sundstedt, covering joke writing and performance technique and culminating in a live audience showcase. Priced at $475 and targeted at aspiring comedians at all levels.
- Comedy Store Merchandise Store Official branded merchandise store at shop.comedystore.com, offering Comedy Store apparel and other branded items such as the 3/4 sleeve raglan shirt, targeted at fans and visitors.
- Ciro's Pizza On-site pizza restaurant at The Comedy Store Hollywood, serving as the venue's food service partner and offering hot fresh popped popcorn, supporting the 2-drink minimum food and beverage program.
Companies that use The Comedy Store
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Comedy Store technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Comedy Store partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- YondrcoreYondr provides phone-free venue technology used at The Comedy Store. Upon arrival, all phones and smart watches are placed in Yondr cases and unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of phones and may access them in designated Phone Use Areas. This creates phone-free performance spaces for artists and comedians.
- Ciro's PizzaminorCiro's Pizza is connected to The Comedy Store as an on-site food service option. The venue offers hot fresh popped popcorn and Ciro's Pizza serves as the venue's restaurant partner.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Comedy Store competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Caroline's on Broadway:
- The Laugh Factory: The Laugh Factory is a long-standing Sunset Boulevard comedy club founded in 1979 by Jamie Masada. It is the most direct competitor to The Comedy Store, operating similar nightly show formats, 2-drink minimum policies, and serving the same LA comedy-enthusiast and tourist audience.
- Hollywood Improv: Hollywood Improv is one of the most recognized comedy clubs on the Sunset Strip/Hollywood corridor, offering nightly stand-up across multiple rooms and serving a near-identical customer base to The Comedy Store with comparable show formats.
- The Comedy Cellar: The Comedy Cellar is an iconic New York City comedy club on MacDougal Street, founded in 1982. It is the East Coast equivalent of The Comedy Store in terms of brand prestige, nightly headline programming, and reputation as a proving ground for top-tier comedians.
- Zanies Comedy Nightclub: Zanies operates multiple comedy clubs across the U.S. (Nashville, Chicago, Rosemont, Vernon Hills, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix) with similar nightly stand-up formats, 2-drink minimums, and food/beverage service — a comparable multi-location comedy club operator.
- Helium Comedy Club: Helium operates comedy clubs in Portland, Indianapolis, and St. Louis with restaurant-and-bar service integrated into the venue. It mirrors The Comedy Store's combined ticket-plus-F&B model and offers a comparable multi-room show format.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Comedy Store social profiles
Digital presenceThe Comedy Store financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Comedy Store leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Comedy Store subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Comedy Store funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Comedy Store M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Comedy Store
What does The Comedy Store do?
The Comedy Store operates a live stand-up comedy nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood with three performance rooms (Main Room, Original Room, and Belly Room) hosting nightly headline, showcase, and developing-talent shows seven nights a week. A second location in La Jolla, California replicates the format and also offers an in-person six-week stand-up workshop. Ancillary revenue comes from a 2-drink food and beverage minimum, on-site Ciro's Pizza, and branded merchandise.
Is The Comedy Store a public or private company?
The Comedy Store is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Comedy Store founded?
The Comedy Store was founded in 1972. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Comedy Store based?
The Comedy Store is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Comedy Store make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage and merchandise.
Who are The Comedy Store's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Caroline's on Broadway, The Laugh Factory, Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Cellar, Zanies Comedy Nightclub and Helium Comedy Club.
Does The Comedy Store have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Comedy Store.