Yuk Yuk's

What Yuk Yuk's does

Yuk Yuk's is a Canadian private company that operates the country's largest stand-up comedy club chain, founded in 1976 by Mark Breslin in the basement of Toronto's Church Street Community Centre. The company runs 14 permanent club locations across Canada — including Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Burlington, London, Niagara Falls, Oshawa, and Surrey — supplemented by a network of more than 20 Yuk Yuk's On-Tour venues serving secondary markets in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Its wholly-owned subsidiary Funny Business functions as an international talent booking agency, and the company produces the long-running "Search for Canada's Funniest New Comic" annual talent contest as its core talent development pipeline.

The business operates a multi-channel revenue model: consumer ticket sales at general admission prices of $25.99 to $40 CAD (with dinner/show packages at $60-$70 CAD), on-site food and beverage, franchise fees from 14+ club operators, a structured Hire-a-Comic corporate booking service with five pricing tiers ranging from under $950 to over $5,000, gift certificate sales, and branded merchandise via shopyukyuks.com. The company has no proprietary technology platform or AI capabilities — it is a service business built on physical venues, live entertainment, talent relationships, and brand equity.

Yuk Yuk's is privately held by its founders and long-tenured executives, with Mark Breslin as Founder and CEO and Jeff Silverman (joined 1986) as President. The company also produced the Yuk Yuk's TV show for CBC and partners with Humber College on comedy education. Customer segments include individual comedy consumers, corporate event bookers, nonprofit fundraiser organizers, private celebration planners, and franchisees — with no disclosed anchor enterprise clients and a long-tail, low-concentration revenue base.

Name

Yuk Yuk's

Legal name

Yuk Yuk's Inc.

Website

https://yukyuks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Yuk Yuk's is a privately held Canadian stand-up comedy club chain founded in 1976, operating 14 permanent venues and 20+ On-Tour locations across Canada, serving individual comedy fans, corporate event clients, and franchisees through live shows, talent booking, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Comedy Shows & Spoken-Word Events (THAJAFAC), Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Stand-up comedy clubs
• Live comedy entertainment
• Comedy talent booking
• Corporate comedy events
• Comedy franchise services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices32 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: One-time ticket sales for comedy show admissions at club venues and special events.
2. Food and Beverage: On-site food and beverage sales at comedy club venues including drinks, snacks, and full dinner packages.
3. Franchise Fees: Franchise fees from 14+ club locations across Canada operated by franchisees.
4. Corporate/Private Event Booking: Hire-a-Comic service for corporate events, private parties, fundraisers, and special occasions with various budget tiers from under $950 to over $5000.
5. Merchandise: Online merchandise store (shopyukyuks.com) selling branded merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yuk Yuk's operates a national chain of stand-up comedy clubs in Canada, hosting live comedy performances at 14 permanent venues and a network of On-Tour locations, and sells tickets, food and beverage, and dinner-show packages to consumers. Beyond venue-based shows, the company provides a Hire a Comic corporate booking service, runs a franchise program, manages the Funny Business talent booking agency for international comedian bookings, sells branded merchandise online, and runs talent development programs including amateur nights and the annual Search for Canada's Funniest New Comic contest.

Product overview

Yuk Yuk's is Canada's national stand-up comedy company operating the world's largest chain of comedy clubs. The portfolio consists of permanent club venues (Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Burlington, London, Niagara Falls, Oshawa, Surrey) and a network of Yuk Yuk's On-Tour locations across Canada. Core offerings include live comedy show tickets, the Hire a Comic corporate booking service powered by Funny Business talent agency, and franchise opportunities. Supporting products include gift certificates, the Yuk Yuk's Merch Store, amateur nights, comedy cruises, and the annual Search for Canada's Funniest New Comic talent competition. The company also produced Yuk Yuk's TV show for CBC and manages comedy education programs through Humber College partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Funny Business: Talent booking agency that services the world

Products and services

• Yuk Yuk's Comedy Clubs Physical stand-up comedy club venues offering live performances with scheduled shows featuring professional comedians, including permanent club locations across Canada such as Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Burlington, London, Niagara Falls, Oshawa, and Surrey.
• Hire a Comic / Corporate Comedy Corporate talent booking service allowing businesses and organizations to hire professional stand-up comedians for private events, company functions, fundraisers, and special occasions, with defined budget tiers ranging from under $950 to over $5,000.
• Yuk Yuk's On-Tour Mobile comedy show service bringing stand-up performances to cities and towns across Canada through franchise and touring arrangements, including venues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
• Yuk Yuk's Franchise Program Franchise opportunity allowing entrepreneurs to open Yuk Yuk's branded comedy club locations, with support for venue setup, brand licensing, talent booking through Funny Business, and operational systems.
• Funny Business Talent Agency Talent booking agency that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yuk Yuk's, servicing clients globally by connecting comedians with venues and events for international bookings.
• Yuk Yuk's Merch Store Online merchandise store selling branded apparel and memorabilia including t-shirts featuring the Yuk Yuk's logo and comedy-related merchandise.
• Yuk Yuk's Comedy Cruises Special event programming featuring stand-up comedy performances on boat cruises, offering unique venue experiences for live comedy shows.

Quantifiable outcome

• Launched careers of major international comedians including Jim Carrey, Norm Macdonald, Howie Mandel, Seth Rogen

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Funny BusinesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFunny Business is Yuk Yuk's talent booking agency that services the world, handling international comedian bookings and corporate entertainment requests.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Absolute Comedy: Canadian comedy club chain with multiple Ontario locations (Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Kitchener). Directly comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a Canadian multi-location comedy club operator with ticketed stand-up shows, amateur nights, food and beverage service, and similar mid-market ticket pricing in overlapping metropolitan markets.
• The Second City: Long-running comedy theater chain with venues in Chicago, Toronto, and other cities offering improv and stand-up programming, comedy school, and corporate training. Comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a Chicago-founded comedy institution with a Toronto location, sharing the same Canadian live comedy market and a complementary programming model.
• The Comedy Store: Iconic US (and London) comedy club chain founded in 1972, the closest international analog to Yuk Yuk's. Operates multiple venues with live stand-up programming, food and beverage service, and a legendary alumni list, sharing the same business model of venue-based stand-up entertainment, talent development, and national brand recognition.
• Comedy Cellar: Iconic New York Village comedy venue (with Olive Tree Comedy Club), known for its role in launching and showcasing top-tier stand-up talent including many late-night TV appearances. Comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a heritage comedy venue with strong brand recognition, talent development reputation, and ticketed live-show revenue model.
• Caroline's on Broadway: Iconic New York City comedy venue operating a flagship club plus Caroline's Comedy Club within the Mohegan Sun. Comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a destination stand-up comedy club hosting national headliners, with a similar revenue model around tickets and on-site F&B.
• Helium Comedy Club: Growing US comedy club chain with multiple locations (Indianapolis, Portland, St. Louis, Philadelphia). Comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a multi-venue stand-up comedy operator with a similar programming mix of national headliners and developing talent, plus on-site food and beverage service.
• The Improv (Improv Comedy Clubs): Largest US comedy club chain historically operating franchised comedy venues nationwide. Directly comparable to Yuk Yuk's franchise-based multi-location model with national touring comedians, branded club experience, and similar mid-market ticket pricing.
• The Laugh Factory: Multi-location US comedy club chain with venues in Hollywood, Long Beach, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Directly comparable to Yuk Yuk's in operating branded comedy clubs with headline and emerging talent programming, ticketed shows, and food and beverage service across major North American markets.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment conglomerate owning Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and venue operations worldwide. Comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a promoter and operator of live entertainment events, but operates at massive scale across music, comedy, and theater rather than specializing in stand-up comedy club venues.
• Just for Laughs: Montreal-based global comedy festival, producer, and broadcasting company operating the world's largest comedy festival plus year-round content distribution and talent management. Comparable to Yuk Yuk's as a dominant Canadian-headquartered comedy brand, but operates at a much larger scale through festival programming, TV production, and international licensing rather than venue-based comedy club operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/yukyuks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/yukyuks
• Facebookfacebook.com/yukyuks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yuk Yuk's