Comedy Café Amsterdam
Comedy Café Amsterdam operates two dedicated stand-up comedy clubs in Amsterdam since 1994, hosting weekly multi-language shows (Dutch, English, Spanish), corporate events, and venue rentals for tourists, expats, and locals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Comedy Café Amsterdam does
Comedy Café Amsterdam is a privately held stand-up comedy venue operator founded in 1994 and headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company runs two physical locations — the flagship venue at IJdok 89 on the IJ waterfront and Southend Comedy Club at IJsbaanpad 45 — and has continuously programmed multiple stand-up comedy shows every week for over three decades. Programming spans recurring series including Comedy Night in English, Cocktails & Comedy, and Masters of Comedy, with content delivered in Dutch, English, and Spanish. Ownership rests with Bob Maclaren, a New Zealand native and longtime Amsterdam-based producer, director, writer, and stand-up comedian; no institutional or private equity ownership has been disclosed.
The business does not operate a technology platform; its core offering is live, in-person comedy performances. Distribution is primarily through direct online ticket sales via comedycafe.nl and door sales, supplemented by an email newsletter and organic social channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn) for audience acquisition. Revenue is generated from four streams: ticket sales at €18.50–€23.50 per standard seat, on-site food and beverage (anchored by the cocktail-paired Cocktails & Comedy format), corporate venue rental and private events, and bundled tourism packages sold through a long-standing channel partnership with Specialtours. Corporate and private event bookings are handled directly by the venue and routed through a B2B sister entity, Comedy Concepts, which books comedians from the venue's network for external functions.
The company employs approximately 12 people, has no disclosed funding history, and is not part of any larger corporate group. Strategic activity is incremental and organic: format extensions (e.g., the Spanish-language LA RISA Pride showcase), promoter partnerships (Grappige Zaken), and ecosystem buildout via Comedy Concepts. There is no evidence of geographic expansion beyond Amsterdam, no M&A activity, and no technology-led disruption to the operating model.
Comedy Café Amsterdam firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Comedy Café Amsterdam
- Legal name
- Comedy Café Amsterdam
- Website
- https://comedycafe.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Comedy Café Amsterdam operates two dedicated stand-up comedy clubs in Amsterdam since 1994, hosting weekly multi-language shows (Dutch, English, Spanish), corporate events, and venue rentals for tourists, expats, and locals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Comedy Café Amsterdam industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Entertainment / Comedy Club
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL)
Keywords
Where Comedy Café Amsterdam is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Comedy Café Amsterdam business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket sales: Revenue from selling tickets to stand-up comedy shows. Ticket prices vary by show type and range from €18.50 to €23.50 for standard shows. Special events have varying prices.
- Food and beverage sales: On-site bar sales including cocktails, drinks, and food. The Cocktails & Comedy format explicitly pairs cocktails with comedy shows.
- Venue rental and private events: Corporate events and venue rental (zaalverhuur) for private functions, generating rental revenue from businesses and organizations.
- Package deals and tourism partnerships: Bundled offerings with tourism partners such as boat tours, city walking tours, and biking tours combined with comedy show tickets, facilitated through Specialtours.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Cocktails & Comedy show (Dutch language) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktails & Comedy in English |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Masters of Comedy |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Comedy Night in English |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student discount |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Special events and showcases |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Comedy Café Amsterdam product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Comedy Café Amsterdam is a live stand-up comedy venue operating two physical club locations in Amsterdam (IJdok and Southend Comedy Club) since 1994. It programs multiple weekly comedy shows in Dutch, English, and Spanish, including recurring formats such as Comedy Night in English, Cocktails & Comedy, and Masters of Comedy. The venue also offers corporate comedian booking through its sister entity Comedy Concepts and rents out its spaces for private events and team outings.
Product overview
Comedy Café Amsterdam operates as a dual-venue stand-up comedy club with two locations in Amsterdam: Comedy Café Amsterdam (IJdok) and Southend Comedy Club. Founded in 1994, the club programs multiple stand-up comedy shows weekly. The product portfolio includes recurring show formats (Comedy Night in English, Cocktails & Comedy, Masters of Comedy) alongside ancillary services for comedian booking and corporate venue rental. The company does not operate a technology platform but provides live entertainment events at physical venues.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Comedy Night in English Weekly English-language stand-up comedy show featuring international comedians and local talent, priced at €18.50 per ticket, targeting English speakers, tourists, and expats in Amsterdam.
- Cocktails & Comedy Evening show combining cocktails with stand-up comedy performances, available in Dutch (€23.50) and English (€18.50) versions, pairing on-site bar service with comedy programming.
- Masters of Comedy Premium showcase featuring established and emerging names from the Dutch comedy scene, priced at €23.50 per ticket, highlighting top-tier headliners.
- Comedian Booking Service Service for booking comedians from the Comedy Café roster for corporate events, private functions, and team outings, delivered via the Comedy Concepts sister company.
- Venue Rental Rental of the comedy club spaces (either the IJdok or Southend location) for private functions, company events, and team-building activities, booked directly via email and phone.
Companies that use Comedy Café Amsterdam
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Comedy Café Amsterdam technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Comedy Café Amsterdam partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SpecialtourscoreSpecialtours has partnered with Comedy Café Amsterdam since 2007 to offer combined Amsterdam experiences. Their City & Comedy deal bundles boat canal tours, walking tours, or biking tours with comedy show tickets at Comedy Café. Specialtours also organizes corporate outings and team-building events that include Comedy Café shows.
- Grappige ZakenminorGrappige Zaken (a Dutch comedy promoter) partners with Comedy Café Amsterdam on the Cocktails & Comedy concept, providing co-produced comedy programming alongside the venue's bar and facilities.
- Comedy ConceptsminorComedy Concepts is described as the B2B sister company of Comedy Café, focused on booking comedians for corporate events and private functions. It operates as a separate commercial entity that sources talent from the Comedy Café network.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Comedy Café Amsterdam competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Jongleurs: UK comedy club chain known for combining stand-up with dinner/drinks formats. Closely analogous operating model to Comedy Café's Cocktails & Comedy concept; comparable as a regional multi-venue comedy operator but in the UK.
- The Stand Comedy Club: Edinburgh-based comedy club with additional UK locations. Comparable as a multi-venue stand-up operator in a tourism-heavy city (Edinburgh Festival adjacency), but operating in the UK rather than the Dutch market.
- Comedy Club Helsinki: Finnish stand-up comedy venue operating in a Nordic tourist city. Comparable as a dedicated live comedy club with ticketed shows and bar service, but serving a different geography than Comedy Café.
Broad incumbents
- The Second City: Long-established improv and comedy theatre with venues in Chicago and Toronto plus a training school. Comparable as a destination comedy venue combining ticketed shows, bar service and a corporate/training B2B layer.
- The Comedy Store: London's premier stand-up comedy venue with multiple rooms and a long history. Comparable in operating model (ticketed shows, licensed bar, established brand) and as a category-defining comedy venue in its domestic market.
- Comedy Cellar: Iconic New York City stand-up comedy club operating since 1979. Comparable format (ticketed stand-up sets in an intimate venue with bar service) and category leadership position in its city, analogous to Comedy Café's standing in Amsterdam.
- Yuk Yuk's: Canada's largest chain of stand-up comedy clubs. Comparable as a multi-venue live comedy operator with ticketed shows and bar service, though operating at significantly larger scale.
Others
- Specialtours: Amsterdam tour operator and Comedy Café's distribution partner since 2007, bundling canal cruises and city tours with comedy show tickets. Included as an ecosystem partner that channels inbound tourist demand to Comedy Café rather than as a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- Boom Chicago: Amsterdam-based English-language comedy and improv theatre operating since 1993. Directly comparable as a long-running Amsterdam comedy venue targeting English-speaking tourists, expats and locals — competing for the same audience segment Comedy Café serves with its English-language shows.
- Toomler: Amsterdam comedy club offering stand-up and improv programming. Direct competitor for live comedy audiences in the same city, with comparable show ticketing, bar service and venue rental offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Comedy Café Amsterdam social profiles
Digital presenceComedy Café Amsterdam financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Comedy Café Amsterdam leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Comedy Café Amsterdam subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Comedy Café Amsterdam funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Comedy Café Amsterdam 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 Comedy Café Amsterdam
What does Comedy Café Amsterdam do?
Comedy Café Amsterdam is a live stand-up comedy venue operating two physical club locations in Amsterdam (IJdok and Southend Comedy Club) since 1994. It programs multiple weekly comedy shows in Dutch, English, and Spanish, including recurring formats such as Comedy Night in English, Cocktails & Comedy, and Masters of Comedy. The venue also offers corporate comedian booking through its sister entity Comedy Concepts and rents out its spaces for private events and team outings.
Is Comedy Café Amsterdam a public or private company?
Comedy Café Amsterdam is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Comedy Café Amsterdam founded?
Comedy Café Amsterdam was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Comedy Café Amsterdam based?
Comedy Café Amsterdam is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Comedy Café Amsterdam make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are food and beverage sales, venue rental and private events and package deals and tourism partnerships.
Who are Comedy Café Amsterdam's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Jongleurs, The Stand Comedy Club and Comedy Club Helsinki. Broad incumbents are The Second City, The Comedy Store, Comedy Cellar and Yuk Yuk's. Specialtours is listed as an others. Direct peers are Boom Chicago and Toomler.
Does Comedy Café Amsterdam have an API?
No public API is recorded for Comedy Café Amsterdam.
What industry is Comedy Café Amsterdam in?
Comedy Café Amsterdam's product category is Live Entertainment / Comedy Club. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAH, Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues), with a secondary code of THAFACAL, Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722410 and its SIC code is 5810.