From Clothing Store to Comedy Club

Now, this used to be a clothing store of some sort? You're laughing - Is this a past you don’t like to talk about? No, it’s just funny.  We came in [and] it was a very poorly designed clothing store.  You can still see it... it looks like there are bullet holes in the brick because they just drilled right through the brick.  Not the mortar, where you’re supposed to drill in.... The wall - you see how it’s a little bit wavy? - that’s sanded down.... But at the same time, we’re so happy we got this space.  Because this location is amazing.  And selfishly, I live on this block!  And my managing partner lives around the corner.  So it’s wonderful.... I mean, right after this, I’m going to go home for dinner and then come back for the show. That sounds good! And then the foot traffic that comes by here, you can’t get better than that. So was Queens an ideal location because you live here?  Is there a comedy community here? It’s building.... A lot of comedians live in Astoria, and a lot of comedians live in Brooklyn, in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, and we’re right in between the two, which helps a great deal.  So talent-wise, we have access to amazing talent.  Crowd-wise, the original thought was Manhattan.  And I looked at a bunch of spaces, and then the more I thought about it.... the more I realized, “Why isn’t there something here?”  You know, we are geographically closer to more than five million people than any other comedy club.... There are 20,000 people who live within a quarter square mile of here.... And there was no nightlife beyond bars, and there are some art spaces that are great around here, and we… saw this as a growing area.  And selfishly, because we do live here, it makes sense, but it all added up.
Has opening a comedy club always been a dream of yours? This is not actually the first one I’ve been involved in.  But it’s the first one I’ve been involved in from the ground up.  This is the first one where I’ve been deciding what liquor to get.  This is the first one where I’m deciding what’s on the walls.... From start to finish, this is my baby.  And that has been a dream.  It’s one thing to take someone else’s project and move it up a level.  It’s another thing entirely to sit there with a sketch pad and say “What’s this going to be?”  And that’s what this was. [Photo via Steve Hofstetter] And it seems to be successful!
So far so good.  We’re still open!... In this economy and with the weather like it’s been and they pulled the 7 train from us for three months; with all of that combined... In order to go through all that and still be in the black, we’re thrilled.  And we can’t wait for the weather to get steady.  For the economy to pick up.  The 50,000 new apartments that are being built within a half a mile of here to appear.  It’s all pointing in the right direction.  And word is spreading among the comics.  We’re getting new and interesting talent all the time.  It’s exciting.
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