What The Comedy Nest does

The Comedy Nest is a privately held, single-venue English-language comedy club located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1979 by Ernie Butler (originally under the name "Stitches" on Crescent Street), the venue rebranded as The Comedy Nest after relocating to Bishop Street and has since moved multiple times while remaining in the downtown core. It currently operates a 140-seat cabaret-style room on the third floor of the historic Montreal Forum entertainment complex at 2313 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, directly across from Atwater Metro. The club has been an official Just For Laughs (JFL) festival venue for decades and is credited with launching the careers of Norm Macdonald, Jim Carrey, and Russell Peters. Current ownership has been in place since 2012, after Ernie Butler's children Silver and Ryan Butler (who had run the club following his 2007 death) transferred it to new operators.

The venue runs a multi-format live programming model: Tuesday and Wednesday pro-am shows pair professional comedians with aspiring amateurs, Thursdays through Saturdays feature full headliner nights with MC, opening acts, and internationally recognized talent, Newbie Tuesday is a weekly open mic for emerging performers, and the "Comedy for a Cause" program lets nonprofits host fundraiser shows (30-80 ticket minimums). Standard show tickets are priced at CAD $40.40-$41.10 including taxes, with food and beverage (full bar, popcorn, snacks, wait-staffed candle-lit table service) providing an additional on-site revenue stream. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via walk-in/door sales and online ticketing through the third-party ComedyBar.ca platform. The venue has no proprietary technology platform, no app, no digital distribution, and operates exclusively from its single Montreal location, with brand exposure amplified through JFL co-presentation, the Montreal Forum entertainment complex co-tenants, and a Kayak travel-guide feature. Brand recognition is supported by a Google 'Excellent' rating across 866 reviews, consecutive CultMtl 'Montreal's Best' comedy club wins in 2025 and 2026, and designation as one of the top 15 comedy clubs in North America by Splitsider.

Name

The Comedy Nest

Legal name

The Comedy Nest

Website

https://comedynest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Comedy Nest is Montreal's original English-language comedy club, founded in 1979, operating a 140-seat cabaret venue inside the Montreal Forum as an official Just For Laughs partner. It serves tourists, local entertainment seekers, aspiring comedians, and nonprofits through nightly headliner shows, pro-am nights, and weekly open mic programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy / Stand-up Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Karaoke Bars & Entertainment Bars (THAFAEAH)

Keywords

• Live comedy shows
• Stand-up comedy club
• Comedy fundraiser events
• Open mic comedy
• Cabaret entertainment venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from sale of tickets to nightly comedy shows featuring headliners, opening acts, and MC-hosted events. Ticket prices range from $40.40 to $41.10 including taxes per show. Shows on Tuesdays and Wednesdays feature a curated pro-am format; Thursdays through Saturdays feature full MC, opening acts, and headliners.
2. Food & Beverage: Full-service bar and food offerings including fresh popcorn, corn chips with salsa, and pre-show nibbles generate additional revenue. Wait-staff service and candle-lit table settings support a cabaret-style hospitality experience.
3. Fundraiser/Charity Show Model: The Comedy Nest provides tickets to regular shows at a nominal cost to charities, which then sell them at their chosen price to raise funds. Additional revenue is raised through raffle ticket sales on the night of the show. The venue provides the room, comedians, and MC support — charities handle ticket sales. Minimum 30 tickets, maximum 80 tickets per fundraiser.
4. Open Mic / Newbie Tuesday: Weekly open mic night (Newbie Tuesday) provides emerging comedians a platform to perform 5-minute sets. Email-based booking 3–5 weeks in advance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Comedy Nest operates a 140-seat candlelit cabaret-style live comedy venue in downtown Montreal, hosting nightly stand-up comedy shows featuring professional headliners, MCs, and opening acts, alongside pro-am showcases, a weekly open mic night (Newbie Tuesday), charity fundraiser events, and ticketed Just For Laughs festival performances. Revenue is generated primarily through show ticket sales (approximately CAD $40–$41 per ticket, taxes included) and ancillary food and beverage service.

Product overview

The Comedy Nest operates as a single-venue comedy club offering multiple show formats: regular headliner shows (Thursday-Saturday) featuring professional comedians with MC, opening acts, and world-class headliners; pro-am shows (Tuesday-Wednesday) with professionals testing new material alongside aspiring performers; Newbie Tuesday open mic for emerging talent; and Comedy for a Cause fundraiser events for charities. All shows are held in a 140-seat candle-lit cabaret setting with full-service bar and pre-show entertainment. The venue serves as an official Just for Laughs festival venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Comedy Shows (Headliner Nights) Headliner comedy shows held Thursday through Saturday featuring MC, opening acts, and a world-class headlining comedian. Shows include pre-show video entertainment, candle-lit cabaret seating for up to 140 guests, and full-service bar service. Open to the general public (18+) and ticketed through ComedyBar.ca at approximately CAD $40–$41 per ticket including taxes.
• Pro-Am Comedy Shows Curated pro-am shows held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays featuring professional comedians testing new material alongside aspiring stand-up performers, in the same 140-seat candlelit cabaret setting with full-service bar.
• Newbie Tuesday Open Mic Weekly open mic night every Tuesday for emerging comedians to perform 5-minute sets of original stand-up material. Booked 3–5 weeks in advance via [email protected].
• Comedy for a Cause Fundraiser Program Charity fundraiser package where nonprofits purchase 30–80 tickets at nominal cost and resell them at their chosen price; the venue provides the room, comedians, MC, and on-show support. Optional raffle ticket sales are run by the charity on show night.
• Just For Laughs Festival Shows Ticketed shows co-presented with the Just For Laughs comedy festival featuring internationally recognized headliners from Netflix, The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Tickets processed through the JFL ComedyBar.ca platform with 'Presented by Just For Laughs' attribution.
• Food & Beverage Service Full-service bar plus light food offerings including fresh popcorn, corn chips with salsa, and pre-show nibbles, served by wait staff at candle-lit tables to support the cabaret-style hospitality experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rated 'Excellent' on Google based on 866 reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Just For Laughs (JFL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Comedy Nest is an official venue for the Just For Laughs (JFL) comedy festival — the world's premier comedy festival. JFL co-presents shows at The Comedy Nest, providing headline bookings, festival branding, and co-marketing. JFL shows are listed on ComedyBar.ca with 'Presented by Just For Laughs' attribution. This partnership has been in place for decades and is central to the venue's programming and brand identity.
• ComedyBar.cacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComedyBar.ca is the ticketing platform used for all JFL and general show ticket sales at The Comedy Nest. The Comedy Nest website and blog event pages link directly to ComedyBar.ca for ticket purchases. ComedyBar.ca manages ticket sales, payment processing, and ticket delivery for show admissions.
• Mira AmusementsminorOthersMira Amusements operates a state-of-the-art video-and-virtual-reality arcade within the Montreal Forum entertainment complex where The Comedy Nest is located. Part of the broader entertainment complex ecosystem that includes VIP cinemas, bowling, pool tables, and fast-food restaurants, all of which drive cross-visitation to the venue.
• Montreal Forum (Entertainment Complex)coreOthersThe Comedy Nest is located on the third floor of the historic Montreal Forum building. The Forum is a growing entertainment complex that includes VIP cinemas, Mira Amusements VR arcade, bowling, pool tables, fast-food restaurants (A&W, Mandy's Gourmet Salads, Boustan, B. Hive Cafe, Madame Poulet), and indoor parking. The venue benefits from foot traffic generated by other complex attractions.
• KayakminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Comedy Nest is featured on Kayak's Montreal travel guide, being listed as a recommended attraction/activity for visitors to Montreal. This provides organic tourism-related marketing exposure and drives awareness among out-of-town visitors planning trips to the city.
• Atwater Metro Station (STM)minorOthersThe Comedy Nest is located across the street from Atwater Metro station, Montreal's second-busiest subway station. The venue is promoted as easily accessible via the metro (STM lines), with multiple bus routes (15, 57, 63, 90, 104, 108, 138, 144, 150) serving the location. This transit partnership/direction provides significant convenience for attendees and is a key part of the venue's accessibility positioning.
• Ernie Butler Estate / Butler FamilyminorOthersErnie Butler founded Montreal's first comedy club (Stitches) in 1979, which later became The Comedy Nest. After his passing in 2007, his children Silver and Ryan Butler continued the tradition before passing the torch to new owners in 2012. The Butler family's legacy and history are celebrated on the venue's About Us page.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Just For Laughs: The world's largest comedy festival and The Comedy Nest's flagship partner. Not a direct competitor but the central content/distribution partner — JFL provides headline bookings, co-marketing, and co-presentation rights that are foundational to the venue's programming.

Direct peers

• The Comedy Cellar: Iconic New York comedy club operating in a small, intimate setting with candle-lit tables and a bar. Highly comparable to The Comedy Nest in format, scale (~200 seats), and premium headliner programming — frequently cited as North America's gold-standard comedy club.
• The Stand NYC: NYC comedy club and restaurant combining headliner-driven stand-up with full-service food and beverage in an intimate setting. Highly comparable on the dual food/comedy positioning and ticketed show format.
• Gotham Comedy Club: NYC-based intimate comedy club offering headliner-driven shows with full bar service. Comparable as a single-venue, intimate-format comedy club operating a similar headliner + bar + cabaret model.
• Yuk Yuk's: Canada's most established comedy club chain with venues across multiple provinces. Direct comparison as a Canadian-headquartered comedy club chain with similar headliner-driven format, food/beverage service, and live entertainment positioning.
• Helium Comedy Club: Multi-city US comedy club (Portland, Indianapolis, others) operating premium 200-300 seat venues with national headliner bookings. Comparable in format, capacity, and positioning as a destination comedy venue.
• The Laugh Factory: Multi-location comedy club chain (LA, NYC, Chicago, Las Vegas) operating intimate cabaret-style venues with full-service bars. Direct comparison on business model (ticketed headliner shows + F&B) and target customer (live comedy seekers).
• Comedy Bar (Toronto): Toronto-based comedy club operating multiple show formats in an intimate venue. The Comedy Nest actually uses Comedy Bar's ticketing platform (ComedyBar.ca), indicating close operational ties and a directly comparable Canadian comedy club model.
• Carolines on Broadway: Long-running NYC comedy club located in a major entertainment district, offering ticketed headliner shows with full bar service. Direct comparison on premium positioning, ticketed headliner programming, and high-traffic urban location.

Broad incumbents

• The Improv: Largest US comedy club chain with venues nationwide, offering a broader mix of comedy programming alongside food and beverage. Comparable as a larger incumbent in the same space; differs in scale and chain-vs-venue focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-comedy-nest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Comedy Nest