The Ice House Comedy Club

What The Ice House Comedy Club does

The Ice House Comedy Club is a privately held live comedy venue located at 24 N Mentor Ave in Pasadena, California, and is described as the oldest continuously operating comedy club in America, founded in 1960/1961. The business operates a single physical showroom where it stages stand-up comedy performances and sells tickets through a Showclix integration on its website, supported by on-site food and beverage service. Beyond nightly shows, the venue offers private event rentals (corporate parties, bachelor/bachelorette events, movie premieres, record release parties, conferences, fundraisers) and a VIP Lounge accommodating up to 30 guests with privacy glass and a self-serve bar.

The company is owned by Johnny Buss — son of Dr. Jerry Buss and co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers — who acquired the venue in 2019. It operates the wholly-owned Cool Beans Comedy school (launched in 2009), which teaches stand-up comedy to adults and youth and whose graduates have appeared on Netflix, Comedy Central, SiriusXM, America's Got Talent, and other major outlets. A Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront sells branded merchandise including mugs ($11.99–$16.99), apparel such as hoodies ($32.99) and bucket hats ($22.50), beanies, and accessories.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: ticket sales, walk-in food and beverage spend, private event bookings, and online merchandise orders, with marketing executed through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and email newsletter. The company has no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed AI capabilities, and 21 reported employees.

Name

The Ice House Comedy Club

Legal name

The Ice House Comedy

Website

https://theicehouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ice House Comedy Club operates a single live stand-up comedy venue in Pasadena, California, serving general audiences, private event bookers, and aspiring comedians through nightly shows, venue rentals, a VIP lounge, a comedy school, and branded merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Live comedy venue
• Stand-up comedy shows
• Private event rentals
• Comedy education
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Live Comedy Show Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales to stand-up comedy shows at the venue, with tickets sold through Showclix integration on the website.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site food and drink sales during shows and events at the comedy club.
3. Private Event Venue Rental: Revenue from renting the venue for private events including company parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, movie premieres, record release parties, conferences, and fundraisers.
4. VIP Lounge Bookings: Revenue from private VIP lounge bookings with dedicated service and self-serve bar, seating up to 30 people.
5. Comedy School Classes: Revenue from Cool Beans Comedy school offering adult and youth stand-up comedy classes since 2009.
6. Branded Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including mugs, apparel, accessories, and novelty items through e-commerce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ice House Comedy Club operates a state-of-the-art physical comedy venue in Pasadena, California, presenting live stand-up comedy performances and offering food and beverage service. The business extends into private event venue rentals for corporate and personal functions, operates Cool Beans Comedy School for aspiring comedians of all ages, and sells branded merchandise through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

The Ice House Comedy Club offers live stand-up comedy shows and entertainment at its Pasadena venue. The company operates multiple service offerings including main showroom comedy shows, a VIP Lounge (seating up to 30 with private bar and stage view), private event rentals for corporate events, bachelor/bachelorette parties, movie screenings, and conferences, and Cool Beans Comedy school for aspiring comedians. The club also sells branded merchandise including apparel (hoodies, bucket hats, beanies), drinkware (mugs, enamel mugs), accessories (face masks, notebooks), and promotional items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Stand-Up Comedy Shows

Quantifiable outcome

• Cool Beans Comedy graduates have appeared on Netflix, Comedy Central, SiriusXM, America's Got Talent, and comedy festivals across the country

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zanies Comedy Night Clubs: Multi-city comedy club chain operating ticketed stand-up shows with full bar service. Comparable as a stand-up-focused club operator with similar revenue model (tickets + bar) and venue format.
• Laugh Factory: Long-running Hollywood comedy club offering nightly ticketed stand-up, full bar, and food service. Closely comparable in business model, target audience, and venue format to The Ice House.
• Carolines on Broadway: New York City comedy club with a long history, ticketed stand-up showcases, full bar, and on-site dining. Comparable as a heritage single-location comedy venue with mixed ticketing and F&B revenue.
• Helium Comedy Club: Comedy club operating in multiple U.S. cities with a food-and-beverage menu, ticketed shows, and private events. Directly comparable on business model, programming, and corporate/private event mix.
• The Comedy Store: Iconic West Hollywood comedy club operating multiple showrooms with a similarly legendary alumni roster (Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle). Directly comparable as a single-location, multi-room LA comedy venue with food and beverage service and ticketed showcase nights.
• The Comedy and Magic Club: Hermosa Beach comedy club known for its Sunday night tapings and stand-up showcases with food and drink service. Comparable as a heritage Southern California comedy venue combining live shows with F&B.
• The Hollywood Improv: Part of the Improv comedy club chain located in Hollywood, offering stand-up shows, bar service, and food. Comparable as a ticketed stand-up venue with bar-driven F&B revenue in the LA market.
• Flappers Comedy Club: Burbank-based comedy club with a restaurant, bar, and multiple showrooms running nightly stand-up. Directly comparable as a Southern California single-location comedy venue with full F&B service.

Broad incumbents

• Second City: Long-established comedy brand with theaters in Chicago, Toronto, and elsewhere, combining ticketed shows, a comedy school, and corporate/private events. Comparable for its mix of live shows, education, and private event revenue streams.
• Just For Laughs: Montreal-based comedy brand running the world's largest comedy festival plus year-round live programming and content. Comparable as a leading incumbent in the live stand-up space, though it operates at a much larger scale and across festivals and broadcast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoYXXqH7tKMI_HxDTIYotAw
• Facebookfacebook.com/theicehousecc
• Instagraminstagram.com/theicehousecc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ice-house-comedy-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Ice House Comedy Club