Zanies Comedy Night Club

What Zanies Comedy Night Club does

Zanies Comedy Night Club is a privately held, family-owned comedy venue operator based in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1983/1984 and recognized as a top-5 US comedy club. The company operates two physical venues on adjacent parcels at 8th Avenue South: a 300-capacity main showroom at 2025 8th Avenue South and a 100-seat intimate theater called The Lab at Zanies at 2019 8th Avenue South, which opened in Spring 2024. Zanies runs a multi-format show slate including Monday Night Funnies, Nateland Live, Jeff Ross' Roast Battle League, Dark & Dirty Showcase, themed drag brunches, and comedy/improv classes, and increasingly co-promotes larger Nashville Comedy Concerts at Ascend Amphitheater, Ryman Auditorium, and Bridgestone Arena.

Revenue is generated through ticket sales (priced $5–$86.75 via Etix online ticketing and box office), food and beverage service under a two-item minimum policy, private event hosting, gift cards, on-site merchandise, and the Zanies Podcast Network launched in Summer 2024. The technology stack is intentionally lean and third-party: Etix for ticketing, Yondr phone-pouch hardware for phone-free shows, plus SMS/email "Mobile Club" direct marketing. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across box office, online ticketing, podcast/audio, and concert co-promotions. The business is run by a lean team of 13 employees and serves general adult audiences (18+), corporate and private-event clients, the local comedy community, and themed-event attendees. No proprietary software platform, no AI capabilities, and no disclosed funding events were evidenced in the available data.

Name

Zanies Comedy Night Club

Legal name

Zanies Nashville

Website

https://nashville.zanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zanies Comedy Night Club operates two Nashville comedy venues—a 300-seat main showroom and a 100-seat intimate theater (The Lab, opened 2024)—offering live stand-up, themed shows, private events, F&B, and a podcast network to adult audiences, corporations, and the comedy community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE), Improv Comedy Performances (MPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Live comedy entertainment
• Stand-up comedy venue
• Comedy night club
• Private event hosting
• Drag brunch shows

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from live comedy show tickets. Uses All-In Ticket Pricing where total price includes fees and taxes. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. VIP tickets available with priority seating and meet-and-greet options.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site food and beverage sales. Two-item minimum purchase requirement per person (must include one food item). Full kitchen with upscale menu, full liquor bar, and craft cocktails available. Non-alcoholic beverages offered.
3. Gift Cards: Physical gift cards sold in any denomination up to $100, valid for tickets, food and beverages. Must be picked up from box office; cannot be mailed.
4. Private Events: Corporate events, holiday parties, team building, fundraisers, listening parties, and alumni events booked at two venue spaces: Main Showroom (up to 300 guests) and The Lab (up to 100 guests).
5. Merchandise Sales: Zanies merchandise sold on-site only. Promotional items including merch worn for free entry to Monday Night Funnies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Zanies Comedy Night Club operates two live comedy venues in Nashville — a 300-seat main showroom and a 100-seat intimate theater called The Lab at Zanies — featuring national headliners, local talent, and themed programming such as Monday Night Funnies, Nateland Live, Roast Battle League, and Drag Brunches. The club sells show tickets (general admission and VIP), runs full kitchen and bar service with a two-item minimum, hosts private and corporate events, and offers the Zanies Podcast Network for broadcast content.

Product overview

Zanies Comedy Night Club operates as a multi-venue comedy entertainment company featuring two primary venues: the main Zanies Nashville Comedy Club (a 300-capacity showroom operating for over 40 years) and The Lab at Zanies (a 100-seat intimate theater opened Spring 2024). The company offers live comedy performances through recurring show series including Monday Night Funnies, Nateland Live, Comedy Clash, Comedy Ramble, Drink N' Debate, Hot Fudge Sundays, Show N' Tell, Roast Battle League, and Dark & Dirty Showcase. Additional offerings include themed Drag Brunch events, private event hosting, comedy/improv classes, gift cards, and the recently launched Zanies Podcast Network (Summer 2024). Food and beverage service includes full kitchens and liquor bars at both venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lab at Zanies: Intimate 100-seat comedy theater featuring local and national talent, comedy education classes, improv workshops, and the Zanies Podcast Network. Offers an upscale menu and full liquor bar.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Jeff Ross' Roast Battle LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZanies Nashville is an affiliated chapter of Jeff Ross' Roast Battle League, bringing the best comics in the region to compete. As an affiliated chapter, they follow the league's format and standards for roast battle competitions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Comedy Store: Iconic multi-room comedy club in Los Angeles with national brand recognition. Comparable as a long-standing, headliner-driven stand-up venue operating multiple showrooms, similar in programming philosophy to Zanies' dual-venue model.
• Comedy Cellar: Premier New York comedy club famous for its tight, intimate main room and rigorous headliner rotation. Comparable as a top-tier comedy club brand with strong headliner relationships and an audience base willing to pay premium prices.
• Helium Comedy Club: Comedy club with locations in Portland, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Directly comparable as a mid-size regional comedy club operator with national headliner booking and F&B service.
• Laugh Factory: Multi-location comedy club chain with venues in Hollywood, Long Beach, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Comparable for its headliner-driven programming model, F&B attach, and multi-city operations playbook that Zanies Nashville could emulate.
• Zanies Chicago: Sister location under the same Zanies brand operating a comedy club in Chicago. Directly comparable in format (live stand-up, F&B service, ticketed shows) and represents the most direct read-across for benchmarking Nashville operations against another Zanies market.
• The Improv: Long-established comedy club chain (originally founded in 1963) with multiple US locations. Comparable for its brand legacy, headliner-focused programming, and food-and-beverage-anchored venue economics.
• Punch Line Comedy Club: San Francisco and Sacramento comedy club with a strong headliner reputation. Comparable programming approach and venue economics, particularly relevant given dual-show nightly format similar to Zanies' weekend double-shows.
• Caroline's on Broadway: New York-based comedy club and restaurant with national headliner programming. Comparable as a premium-priced, headliner-driven venue that pairs comedy with full dining and bar service.
• Zanies Rosemont: Additional Zanies-branded comedy club in Rosemont, Illinois. Closest operational peer given identical brand standards, programming approach, and revenue model (ticket sales plus F&B).

Regional players

• The Basement East: Nashville-based live music and entertainment venue. Regional peer in the same Nashville live entertainment market competing for the same discretionary consumer and corporate-event dollars, though focused on music rather than comedy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zaniesnashville
• Facebookfacebook.com/zanies
• Instagraminstagram.com/zaniesnashville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zanies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Zanies Comedy Night Club