The Comedy Bar
The Comedy Bar is a privately held multi-location comedy club chain operating live stand-up comedy venues in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Fort Lauderdale, serving individual consumers, social groups, and corporate clients seeking entertainment, date nights, and private events with integrated food and beverage service.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Comedy Bar does
The Comedy Bar is a privately held entertainment company founded in 2011 that operates a multi-location comedy club chain in the United States. Co-founded by Jim Belushi, Robert Belushi, and Kyle Lane, the company runs live stand-up comedy venues in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Fort Lauderdale, targeting consumers seeking entertainment for date nights, group outings, and corporate events. The company has built a portfolio of weekly recurring show formats including Late Nite Mic (Mondays), Tomato Throw Show (Tuesdays), and Crowd Work Wednesday, alongside weekend headliner shows featuring national touring comedians and local favorites.
The company's core product is live stand-up comedy performances delivered through physical venue locations with seating capacities of 140-200 guests per show. Its technology stack is minimal: Eventbrite serves as the primary ticketing platform and a WordPress-based website handles online presence and marketing. The company's main operational partnership is with Gino's East, which provides food and beverage service, including Chicago-style deep dish pizza and craft cocktails, served tableside during performances. The venues also host open mic nights for aspiring comedians and a 12-week comedy internship program, building a talent pipeline that supports low-cost stage programming.
The Comedy Bar generates revenue through three primary streams: ticket sales (ranging from free open mic nights to $16+ professional shows), food and beverage sales via the Gino's East partnership, and private event bookings for corporate groups and celebrations of 2-200 guests. The company uses a direct-to-consumer go-to-market strategy leveraging its own website, the Eventbrite marketplace, and organic social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X). Customer segments are horizontally diversified across individual consumers, social groups, corporate clients, and performing comedians, with no disclosed institutional investment or parent company. The business operates as a family-owned entertainment operator with 11-50 employees across its four locations.
The Comedy Bar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Comedy Bar
- Legal name
- The Comedy Bar
- Website
- https://comedybar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Comedy Bar is a privately held multi-location comedy club chain operating live stand-up comedy venues in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Fort Lauderdale, serving individual consumers, social groups, and corporate clients seeking entertainment, date nights, and private events with integrated food and beverage service.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Comedy Bar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Comedy Entertainment
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE), Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL)
Keywords
Where The Comedy Bar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
The Comedy Bar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling tickets to comedy shows. Tickets sold through Eventbrite platform with varying prices based on show type (open mic free, professional shows from $16+).
- Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from food and drink sales during shows. Partnered with Gino's East for Chicago-style deep dish pizza and craft cocktails served at tables during performances.
- Private Events and Group Bookings: Revenue from booking custom comedy shows for private groups, corporate outings, bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, and rehearsal dinners. Groups from 2 to 200 accommodated with customized packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Open Mic Shows - Free Admission |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Comedy Shows - Ticket Based |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Comedy Bar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Comedy Bar operates multi-location stand-up comedy club venues offering live comedy shows seven nights a week featuring national touring headliners, local comedians, and interactive formats. Venues integrate table-side food service through a partnership with Gino's East, serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza and craft cocktails during performances, and accommodate groups from 2 to 200 for date nights, group outings, and corporate/private events.
Product overview
The Comedy Bar is a multi-location comedy club venue offering live stand-up comedy shows seven nights a week. The core product consists of stand-up comedy performances across four locations (Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Fort Lauderdale) featuring national touring headliners and local comedians. The company operates a portfolio of weekly interactive show formats including Late Nite Mic (Mondays), Tomato Throw Show (Tuesdays), Crowd Work Wednesday (Wednesdays), and weekend headliner shows (Fridays and Saturdays). Additional offerings include private event bookings for groups and corporate outings, open mic nights for aspiring comedians, and a comedy internship program. The venues partner with Gino's East for food service, offering Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and full bar service at tables during shows.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Stand-Up Comedy Shows Multi-location stand-up comedy venue offering live performances seven nights a week featuring national touring headliners, local comedians, and interactive show formats at venues in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Fort Lauderdale.
- Late Nite Mic Weekly Monday comedy show hosted by Vik Pandya featuring Chicago comedians, surprise drop-in guests, a one-on-one interview, and a free open mic for aspiring comics.
- Tomato Throw Show Weekly Tuesday interactive comedy show where local comedians compete for a cash prize decided by the audience, with the option for audience members to throw fake tomatoes at performers who are bombing.
- Crowd Work Wednesday Weekly Wednesday interactive comedy show where comedians sharpen their crowd work skills in real time, with the audience becoming part of the act. Hosted by Pat Bolduc and John Gasper.
- Weekend Headliner Shows Friday and Saturday evening shows featuring national touring stand-up comedians and rotating Chicago favorites, with multiple showtimes including a second seating at 9:00 PM or 9:15 PM when early shows sell out.
- Open Mic Night Weekly Monday (Chicago) and Thursday (Dubuque) open mic comedy night where aspiring and seasoned comedians can perform and test new material in front of a live audience. Free admission.
- Private Events and Group Bookings Custom comedy show bookings for groups and private events including work outings, rehearsal dinners, date nights, and girls' nights out, with tailored food and beverage packages for groups from 2 to 200.
- 12-Week Comedy Internship Program A year-round internship program that teaches comedians the business of comedy, covering marketing, branding, writing, performing, and producing shows.
Quantifiable outcome
- Shows run approximately 1 hour 15 minutes on average
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Comedy Bar
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Comedy Bar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Comedy Bar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gino's EastcoreFlagship partnership with Gino's East for food service. The Comedy Bar venues are co-located with Gino's East restaurants, serving authentic Chicago-style deep dish pizza and craft cocktails at tables during shows. The partnership began in 2015 when the club joined forces with Gino's East River North location. Gino's East provides the food and beverage operations while The Comedy Bar provides entertainment.
- Remo's Event CentercorePittsburgh venue partnership with Remo's Event Center in the North Hills neighborhood. The Comedy Bar hosts shows at this location featuring national touring headliners and local favorites with up to 200 seats.
- The Norwood TheatercoreDetroit venue located on the lower level of The Norwood theater in downtown Detroit's New Center neighborhood.
- Ryan Dalton (Comedian)minorFeatured national headliner for Dubuque opening weekend. Performer with Comedy Central credits and grand prize winner at World Series of Comedy competition in Las Vegas in 2011.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Comedy Bar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Just for Laughs: World's largest comedy festival and content brand with comedy club operations; not a direct venue competitor but adjacent ecosystem participant and talent aggregator in stand-up comedy.
- Gino's East: Chicago deep-dish pizza brand and The Comedy Bar's flagship food-service partner; relevant as an ecosystem/operational partner and comparable Chicago entertainment-hospitality venue operator.
Direct peers
- Zanies Comedy Night Club: Multi-location stand-up comedy club chain operating in Chicago and Nashville with similar ticketed-show, food-and-beverage model and national headliner curation—directly comparable to The Comedy Bar's format.
- Laugh Factory: Established multi-market comedy club chain (Chicago, Hollywood, Long Beach, NYC) with similar ticketed headliner shows, full bar service, and corporate/private event offerings.
- The Comedy Store: Iconic stand-up comedy venue in Los Angeles operating nightly ticketed shows with full bar service; comparable in core product (live stand-up) and direct-to-consumer ticketing model.
- Comedy Cellar: New York-based comedy club operating nightly headliner shows with food and drink service in an intimate venue—comparable to The Comedy Bar's downtown intimate-venue positioning.
- Helium Comedy Club: Multi-city comedy club (Portland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Philadelphia) with similar weekly recurring show formats, ticketed headliners, and full bar/food service.
- The Improv (Improv Comedy Club): Long-standing comedy club chain (multiple US cities) with ticketed national headliner shows and food/beverage service in intimate venues.
Broad incumbents
- The Second City: Chicago-based improv and sketch comedy institution with on-site theater, bar, and dining; broader entertainment portfolio than The Comedy Bar but operates the same downtown Chicago live-comedy market.
- iO Theater: Chicago improv comedy theater with attached bar/restaurant; competes for the same downtown Chicago live-comedy consumer and operates a similar food-plus-comedy integrated model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Comedy Bar social profiles
Digital presenceThe Comedy Bar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Comedy Bar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Comedy Bar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Comedy Bar 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 Bar
What does The Comedy Bar do?
The Comedy Bar operates multi-location stand-up comedy club venues offering live comedy shows seven nights a week featuring national touring headliners, local comedians, and interactive formats. Venues integrate table-side food service through a partnership with Gino's East, serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza and craft cocktails during performances, and accommodate groups from 2 to 200 for date nights, group outings, and corporate/private events.
Is The Comedy Bar a public or private company?
The Comedy Bar is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Comedy Bar founded?
The Comedy Bar was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Comedy Bar based?
The Comedy Bar is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Comedy Bar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage Sales and private Events and Group Bookings.
Who are The Comedy Bar's main competitors?
Others on record are Just for Laughs and Gino's East. Direct peers are Zanies Comedy Night Club, Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, Comedy Cellar, Helium Comedy Club and The Improv (Improv Comedy Club). Broad incumbents are The Second City and iO Theater.
Does The Comedy Bar have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Comedy Bar.
What industry is The Comedy Bar in?
The Comedy Bar's product category is Live Comedy Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAH, Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues), with a secondary code of MPAGACAE, Comedy Club & Showcase Nights. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 7900.