Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle

What Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle does

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle is an independent live comedy venue operating at 310 South Troy Street in Royal Oak, Michigan, where it has been located since February 1, 1990. Founded by Mark Ridley on January 4, 1979, it is the first comedy club in Michigan and one of the longest continuously operating comedy venues in the United States. The business serves adult (18+) audiences in the Detroit metropolitan area through a three-comedian-per-show format, with founder Mark Ridley continuing to personally curate the talent roster.

The venue monetizes through four revenue streams: live show ticket sales priced between $15 and $47, food and beverage sales enforced via a two-item minimum per guest, paid comedy classes (Stand-Up 101, Stand-Up Advanced, and Improv, each priced at $200), and gift cards. Supporting products include a weekly Open Mic Night, dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications, the Comedy Castle Podcast, and recorded specials such as the Brad Wenzel: Desperate Times release scheduled for April 2026. Recent programming additions include the Detroit to Austin Comedy Challenge, a competition format that extends the venue's brand beyond its physical stage.

Technology infrastructure is intentionally lean: ticketing is operated through the third-party ETIX platform, with the proprietary layer limited to first-party mobile applications for ticketing, show discovery, and gift card redemption. The company is privately held with no disclosed outside investors, parent entities, or private equity ownership. No AI or machine-learning capabilities are part of the current product or operations.

Name

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle

Legal name

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle

Website

https://comedycastle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle is an independent live comedy venue in Royal Oak, Michigan, founded in 1979, serving adult audiences through ticketed shows, paid comedy classes, food and beverage, and recorded specials. It operates a single physical site with no disclosed external investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE), Workshops & Masterclasses (Live, Audience-Facing) (MPAGACAM)

Keywords

• Live comedy entertainment
• Comedy club performances
• Stand-up shows
• Comedy education classes
• Comedy venue ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Oak

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from live comedy show admissions. Tickets priced by day of week (Thursday, Friday/Saturday) and range from $15-$35 for regular shows, with special events commanding higher prices ($26-$47 for headline performers). Two-item minimum per person required.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Full food and bar service with snacks, cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. Two-item minimum per customer ensures baseline spend. Signature drinks include Mic Drop, Georgia Peach, Castle Mule, and specialty martinis.
3. Comedy Classes: Stand-Up 101 classes ($200) and Advanced Classes ($200) taught by Bill Bushart and Joel Fragomeni respectively. Five-week improv classes also offered at $200 per series. Classes include showcase performances at the venue.
4. Gift Cards: Physical and electronic gift cards sold in any denomination, usable for drinks, food, and admission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle operates a live stand-up comedy venue in Royal Oak, Michigan, presenting ticketed performances by nationally recognized and emerging comedians on Thursday through Saturday, with Wednesday open mic nights. The venue also delivers a structured comedy education program (Stand-Up 101, Advanced, and Improv classes), a multi-round comedy competition, and in-house food and bar service with a two-item minimum purchase requirement.

Product overview

Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle operates a live comedy entertainment venue offering ticketed stand-up performances featuring nationally recognized and emerging comedians across multiple shows weekly. The venue provides comedy education programs including Stand-Up 101, Advanced Comedy Classes, and Improv Classes that serve as a talent pipeline, with graduates showcased at the club. Supporting offerings include Open Mic Nights for new performers, gift cards, a podcast, and food and beverage service with a two-item minimum. The venue also hosts special events like the Detroit to Austin Comedy Challenge competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Comedy Shows Ticketed live stand-up comedy performances featuring nationally recognized and emerging comedians, with multiple shows nightly on Thursday (lower priced), Friday, and Saturday (higher priced), plus special-event pricing ($16-$47) for headline performers. Targeted at adult audiences aged 18+ in the metro Detroit area.
• Stand-Up 101 Comedy Class Entry-level four-week stand-up comedy course teaching the fundamentals of writing and performing stand-up, taught by instructor Bill Bushart and culminating in a showcase performance at the Comedy Castle venue. Targeted at aspiring adult stand-up comedians.
• Advanced Comedy Class Six-week intensive stand-up course for experienced comics covering comedy writing, performance skills, emceeing, booking shows, and creating promotional material, taught by instructor Joel Fragomeni. Targeted at more experienced aspiring and emerging comedians.
• Improv Class Five-week introductory improv course teaching improvisation games, scene performance skills, and techniques to build confidence in creating spontaneous content. Targeted at adult learners interested in improv comedy.
• Open Mic Night Weekly Wednesday open mic event providing emerging comedians the opportunity to perform 5-minute sets in front of a live audience, with $5 admission sold at the door. Targeted at aspiring comedians and small audiences.
• Gift Cards Physical and electronic gift cards available for purchase in any denomination, redeemable for drinks, food, and show admission at the Comedy Castle. Targeted at gift-giving customers and repeat patrons.
• Food and Beverage Service Full bar and food menu including cocktails (Mic Drop, Georgia Peach, Castle Mule, specialty martinis), beers, wines, non-alcoholic beverages, and snack items, with a two-item minimum purchase per customer. Targeted at all ticketed show attendees on-site.
• Detroit to Austin Comedy Challenge Multi-round comedy competition featuring local Detroit-area comedians performing 6-minute sets across 10 rounds, competing for a trip to Austin, TX. Targeted at local audiences following the local stand-up scene and aspiring competing comedians.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Comedy Store: Legendary Sunset Strip comedy club founded in 1972; operates multiple rooms nightly with A-list and emerging talent. Closest analog to Comedy Castle in terms of heritage, talent-launchpad reputation, and single-location iconic status.
• The Improv: Multi-location comedy club chain with similar food-and-drink-plus-show format and strong booking relationships with national touring comedians.
• Rick Bronson's House of Comedy: Multi-state comedy club (Minnesota, Arizona, Texas, others) running the same club-plus-comedy-school model with national-headliner bookings.
• Helium Comedy Club: Multi-city comedy club (Portland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Philadelphia) running ticketed stand-up with full bar/food service and comedy education programs — a strong structural comp.
• Caroline's on Broadway: Midtown Manhattan comedy club combining ticketed stand-up, full bar service, and dining — directly comparable urban venue with similar revenue mix.
• Laugh Factory: Iconic Hollywood comedy club with additional locations (Long Beach, Chicago, Las Vegas). Same model: ticketed stand-up shows, food and beverage service, and brand-driven A-list bookings.
• The Punchline: San Francisco comedy club operating since 1978 with comparable ticketed stand-up, food and bar service, and comedy class programming.
• Zanies Comedy Night Club: Multi-city comedy club (Chicago, Nashville, Indianapolis, Rosemont) with the same stand-up-plus-F&B format and similar pricing bands.
• Goodnights Comedy Club: Raleigh, NC comedy club with comparable ticket-plus-F&B-plus-class programming and similar mid-market positioning.

Regional players

• Go Bananas Comedy Club: Cincinnati-based comedy club operating with similar Thursday-through-Saturday ticketed stand-up format and F&B service; comparable Midwestern regional comedy-venue operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ComedyCastle
• Facebookfacebook.com/ComedyCastle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mark-ridley's-comedy-castle
• Instagraminstagram.com/comedycastlemi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle