Looks like the floundering Burnsville Performing Arts Center just took another hit as a new game has rolled into town and stolen some more of its planned acts. Anthony’s Parkway Grill, soon to be opening in the old Benchwarmer Bob’s location, will feature a comedy club in the basement. Unfortunately for the ever so confident Wolf Larson, it’s already planning to house an act that currently has events scheduled at the PAC.
According to an e-mail to me from Mike Orensteen, owner of the MinneHAHA Comedy Club, they are set to go to call the lower level of Anthony’s Parkway Grill home beginning in October of 2009:
MinneHAHA Comedy Club will be operating a full time comedy club opening the first weekend of October 2009. Shows will be 1 show on Friday @ 8pm and Saturday will have shows at 8pm and 10:30pm. As business picks up, I will add on a Thursday night. Tickets prices will be between $10-$12 (still working on the budget) All show info at http://www.minnehahacomedyclub.com and I have a mailing list people can get on as well.
Right now the MinneHAHA Comedy Club has two shows scheduled at the PAC in mid-July which will take place in the smaller Black Box theater. The shows are $15 plus fees and feature comedian Marc Yaffee. This event was part of the Burnsville PAC’s lame times are tough…laughing is easy marketing campaign. Looks like the only ones that will be laughing are the opponents of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center.
With ticket prices in the $10 to $12 range and dinner right above your head, I am already pretty damn excited to head over to Anthony’s Parkway Grill for some food and then down to the MinneHAHA Comedy Club below to cap off the evening. This was similar to what Monte’s Steak House was trying to accomplish in Faribault before it closed and I have to admit that while the food was a bit overpriced for that area, the entire package was great and one that I’m glad has moved to the South Metro.
What do you think about MinneHAHA Comedy Club calling the lower level of the future Anthony’s Parkway Grill home? Do you think that this will be a place you would want to make an evening out of (meetup?!) or would you have rather seen the club’s shows remain in the PAC? Whatever you think about this go ahead and comment on as we’d all love to hear what you have to say!
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June 26th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Now that is damn funny. That is the funniest thing I have heard all week. I went to Menards yesterday and noticed that Black Dawg has a closed sign on the door. Welcome Parkway Grill!!
June 26th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Thought Leader wrote:
I received the following e-mail written by someone working for Black Dog from a reader the other day:
June 26th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Good for you Mike! Sounds like a perfect fit for his business model. Looking forward to trying this place out.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I am very excited to try this place out. I really hope that the dining area has great food.
I am a little bit disappointed in Mike and co though. After all the defense of the PAC on an earlier thread, it seems as though some of the points may have been valid? Certainly his proposed ticket prices are going to be lower at Parkway.
Add Black Dawg to the growing list of empty spaces in Burnsville. That whole area is full of empty store fronts, and, sad to say, nearly every development area of the city is much the same.
We could start a death pool for the next business to close down in Burnsville. KMart, that furniture store next to Toys R Us, Sears, or ?
June 26th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Thread tangent, but great idea Chad. Here’s my quick list:
- Honey Baked Ham Company
- Stavrakis Jewelers
- The coffee shop and the Vietnamese (?) restaurant in the little strip mall just west of Benchwarmer Bob’s (same strip as “Burn” cigar shop).
- Best Buy at 35W and 13
- Michael’s across from Kohl’s.
- The driving range along 35W
- Sports Authority
June 26th, 2009 at 10:40 am
I predict that the Staples (I think that’s what it was going to be?) store on the old Roadhouse restaurant land on CR 42 near the 35E exit ramp will be a contestant in the “closed before it even opened category.” The place has looked like its been finished inside and out for months, but it still hasn’t opened. I wonder what the scoop is there?
June 26th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Come on now MSPD, I never see anyone at the Honey baked Ham Store and personally thought it was already closed, the driving range on 35W was closed all year last year. Dennys on 13 and Cliff is gone, The Gas station on 13 and Nicollet looks like shit and is closed. Renegades has been closed for several months (I know border of B’ville and Savage), what was the italian joint in the Burnsville Center Parking lot with this singers? Gone! Burnsville is an eyesore once you leave the HOC!! The gas station on Southcross and Buck Hill Road is gone. I will add to the list that Massage Parlor/Spa in the Byerlys complex, Ficus and Fig, the old steak house which is becoming an Office Deport / Staples is still not open after dozens of months, I suspect it will never open, Wedding Day Diamonds, MGM Liquor, Wendys, TJ Maxx, Second Wind on 35, Slumberland, The Pet store next to Cub on 42, Buca all make my dead pool list, heck I will even go as far to say Chili’s on 42, sorry Mrs. Marcos.
Linnen and Things, Scuba Daddys, Shinders, Wickes, Barneys in the Mall, Q sharks, the Waldock place on 13, the old Our Own HW Warehouse has been vacant for years, the mini golf on Burnsville PArkway still sits vacant for years now, all gone!!! I just noticed yesterday that the liquor store on 13, I think it was El Dorado Liquor is no longer there. It is a sad sad time for businesses in Burnsville and spiraling furnther into a ghost town.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am
In response to:
Yes my ticket prices will be a few dollars cheaper because my costs structure is much different at Anthony’s Parkway Grill.
Everyone at BPAC have been super supportive of my comedy shows in the Blackbox and I can honestly say I have established some friendships there. May sound strange to you hearing that but I have spent many hours with the BPAC staff working on and producing my shows in an effort to make them successful as well as bring awareness to the Center in a positive light.
I also want to say I’m looking forward to the new partnership with the owner and staff of Anthony’s Parkway Grill. After my first meeting with them I had nothing but great feelings about working with them. I’m not sure what the menu will consist of but when I hear I’ll drop a note.
I think a full time comedy club / restaurant combination is what south of the river needs. No more long drives to downtown or the MOA for great dining and incredible comedy entertainment. I personally preview all comedians acts prior being booked. I tend to stay away from comics that use crude or shock humor. I guarantee you will get a lot of bang for your buck.
Mike O
Edited by Bill to fix hanging italics (and changed to blockquote)
June 26th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
You guys are cheating on the dead pool. Anything along HWY 13 should have a handicap attached because it is doomed. Oh, and while the HOC “looks” nice, the occupancy rate is probably nearly as low as the rest of the city.
It has to be a bad thing when liquor stores and gas stations go out of business.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Well, the thing about a comedy club is I dont rely on customers in the immediate area. People will drive 10-20min to a club to see a quality show. I have done my homework and research and I have found a niche for comedy entertainment. As long as I keep the quality up, people will come
June 26th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Dead pool nominees: Walgreens on CR 42 and 5, Toys R Us, Blockbuster on CR 42 and 5, TimberLodge, Antiques Minnesota, PartyLand
Wish they’d die already: Hooters, LivInn Suites, Old Country Buffet
Already dead but missed above: Baker’s Square, Double Dip, Sweet Celebrations (BOO!!), New Horizon child care on Southcross, Rainbow
Oh, we’ve joked for YEARS about Honey Baked Ham and the Chinese Gourmet too because we never seen any cars at either one.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
My earlier post must have hit the spam bin or something.
I had no idea the driving range was already toast. No points for that one.
LL Reader–you mean the Chinese Gourmet over by Burnsville Bowl? If not, I want to add that place as well as Indigo Tea. Oh, and the European Grocery next to the MVHS.
p.s. – when I lived out east, we used to get stuff from the Honey Baked Ham place. It was actually really good.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Toys R Us? Why? The company is doing rather well; they just acquired FAO Schwarz, after all, and won a big lawsuit against Amazon. Unless there’s issues at the Burnsville store in particular, I don’t see that location going away at all.
Likewise with Michaels; that company is actually doing alright, mainly because their craft business is still strong. Again, unless there’s something particularly wrong at that store, it’s not going anywhere.
But I too don’t know how Honey Baked Ham sticks around. I actually didn’t know they were still open.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I don’t see it in there.
It is actually very good but they only do business around three times of the year. That and they’re setup in an area that isn’t exactly known for being a culinary hotbed at the holidays (canned yams and marshmallows? green beans and canned fried onions? I literally gagged when I ate my first holiday meal with friends here and then proceeded to thank God that there was a bar open nearby where I could wash that nasty taste out of my mouth.)
June 26th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
how did we end up with such a Thread drift? LOL.. one minute we are talking comedy clubs, the next Honey Baked Ham! LOL
A.D.D.. table for 1!!!
Kidding
Mike
June 26th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Hi MSPD — I actually meant the Chinese Gourmet on Burnsville Parkway and 35W but I agree about the restaurant by the Burnsville Bowl — I know exactly which place you mean. We love the Paradise Market by the MVHS. We go there from time to time for European chocolate bars and Polish jam and it is tiny but surprisingly busy.
Tim — I nominated Toys R Us because the place has continually slid downhill over the last decade. Junky interior, less merchandise, fewer customers.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Ah…well, I get dibs on the one by Burnsville Bowl.
Bill, I probably just forgot to hit submit then.
The Michael’s there just seems to be in an odd place. I live very close, but when my wife sends me to Michael’s, I instantly start driving towards the one on Yankee Doodle in Eagan. Maybe it’s just me. I think it’s a good chain, but a bad location for that particular store.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Oh and for the record…..
I came up with the tagline “Times are Tough… Laughing is Easy”
Mike
June 26th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
It might actually be a shorter list to name businesses in Burnsville that are NOT at risk of going out of business?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Mike O, help me out here. Your website has shows acts at the PAC through November, Johnny Watson in August, Chili Challis in Oct, John Bush in November, all still showing at the PAC.
http://www.minnehahacomedyclub.com/calendar.htm
Why does the PAC calendar not show any of these acts on their calendar? Chalk it up to more shitty management / marketing by the PAC / Venuworks?
http://www.burnsvillepac.com/event-calendar/cal/date/2009-10-01/70
Will Chili and John Bush be performing at Anthony’s Parkway Grill or are you contractually obligated for these acts to be at the PAC if Anthonys is opening the first weekend in October?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Page E8 of today’s Strib mentioned another recently closed Burnsville business: Talbot’s Outlet. Forgot about that one.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
LL reader said (emphasis mine):
I don’t know which Rainbow you are referring to but I assume the one at CR-42 and CR-5 in Burnsville. That location is now a very large LA Fitness.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I havent updated my website yet with the acts at BPAC.. Since I dont open til October, I plan on Aug and Sept shows at BPAC but all that really is based on how my July 10-11 show goes. BPAC does know about those shows schedule thru November because I was in Wolf’s office agreeing on dates and him typing them in the computer at the same time. The show with Chili Chailis and John Bush would be shifted over to the new venue. I have a lot of promotion coming out any day for the July 10-11th show. I have a Native American Radio DJ on KFAI doing an onair interview, Marc Yaffee will also be interviewed on WCCO at 11:40am Friday July 10th, StarTrib ads begin their run on July 8th, Sun Current Newspaper runs an Ad on July 2nd.
I have also been running coupon offers on pizza boxes going out for delivery at LS Pizza Shack. BTW.. LS Pizza Shack (right across from BPAC) has AWESOME pizza!! Family owned quick delivery. I high recommend it. They have been very supportive of my promotional efforts.
Mike
July 1st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I wonder how much the City paid to bring MinneHAHA Comedy Club to Burnsville. The city waived parking requirements and gave free land when combined add up to $1.2 million to bring the belly dancers to town. There was a recent story in the Dakota Tribune about parks being a wonderful draw to bring business to an area. I’m not smart enough to figure out why the city gave away $1.2 million in perts if parks were such a business magnet. I understand Mayor Kautz is in the Mediterrain Cruise Cafe almost every day and I wonder if just because the Mayor likes it, does it justify $1.2 million in perts from the taxpayers. Maybe you can help!
July 1st, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Cliff,
The comedy club is probably there on its own but I don’t know about what happened to get the owners of Black Dog to close in their dingy location along MN-13 and reopen to fill the vacant BWB building.
It would be a little hard for me to believe that the city would want the comedy club to move away from the PAC and into its own place across the street.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
MinneHAHA Comedy Club..aka. ME…..PAYS to rent the blackbox theater. I’m a customer. The city didnt bring me in or subsidize me in anyway. Also, the Benchwarmer Bob building was owned by Crown Bank. The new owners had to negotiate or make an offer on the building with the bank. I think Black Dawg was planning on sticking around but fell victim to the economy, etc like all the others.
Mike
July 1st, 2009 at 10:26 pm
In response to posting #26, welcome to Burnsville. We are not big spenders but will most likely visit your place once you are open for business. $80 tickets are way beyond our means.
Again, WELCOME TO BURNSVILLE!
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:53 am
$80 tickets? Did I say that in a previous post? If so its a typo. Tickets on Friday and Saturday 8pm shows will be $12 and 10:30pm show on Saturday will be $8.50.
Also, just found out due to remodeling… the new opening date for the comedy club will be Oct 16-17
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:02 am
No Mike O, you did not say $80, the $80 is in reference to the George Jones Concert Ticket prices that was cancelled due to less than 250 tickets were sold.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Flattery? http://www.twincities.com/dakota/ci_12789531
July 9th, 2009 at 8:07 am
And more: http://www.startribune.com/local/south/49980632.html
July 10th, 2009 at 2:03 am
How will local comedy club hope to compete with flashy new club to open in MOA?
It seats 412 and has a burger bar and looks very nice. They are bringing in national comics like Norm MacDonald and others. I think MinneHaha will have trouble before they even open the doors. Timing is not right. Last time there were three or four comedy clubs operating in the Twin Cities, everyone was giving incentives to go to the shows including deals with radio stations that included FREE tickets or at least Two-for-One. It is tough to run a comedy club and make money and with MOA being on such a Grand Scale, this does not speak well for Burnsville version.
July 10th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Hi Larry,
I’ve been working on building the comedy club business for almost 4 years and specifically have been looking south of the river to establish this type of entertainment. I’ve have tirelessly been doing my homework, market research and building the brand name MinneHAHA Comedy Club and found a niche in this area. There has been a lot of buzz around town already which was notible in the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press the past couple days.
I actually emailed the owner of The House of Comedy at MOA to welcome him to town and to let him know what I have brewing. He agreed to a meeting with me which went very well.
There are huge differences between what he is doing and what I’m doing. First of all his club is 360seats with a small burger bar and absolutely awesome I admit. Yes he is bringing in HUGE named headliners.. but YOU WILL PAY a hefty price to see them.. ie.. Norm McDonald, $34.95. He is bringing in a completely difference level of talent pool than what I have lined up. Even though my Headliners are not at “Stardome” level..yet, it doesn’t mean quality will be scarificed. I have screened all my comedians prior to booking and are top notch. He has a different target market and demographic that he’s tapping into. At the MOA he will get mostly out of towners who are here visiting the Mall, etc with some locals that want to see large named acts.
I have found out through sampling that people living south of the river really don’t care much for heading north. They like the area and are looking for entertainment within this area so they don’t have to drive very far.
The owner of House of Comedy has even said that he would love to use some of my comedians that I book for his club as feature performings, known in the industry as “middle acts”. He see’s the quality of performers I’m bringing in and is eager to utilize them.
This is not a bad time to start a club. I have had one nighter shows at various locations during this harsh ecomony and people are coming out regardless!
What makes my venue soo attractive compared to the MOA is its a stand alone building. Very convienent parking and a large fantastic restaurant (Anthony’s Parkway Grill) that is partnered up. Have a great meal and then head to the lowerlevel for great entertainment. I think walking into a Mall environment kinda takes away from the whole “Comedy” feel.
Every club does do some ticket giveaways on the radio or via email on your bday. Its promotional tactics that work well.
You mention “its tough to run a comedy club and make money” If that is your expert opinion then Id be interested in seeing the data that you compiled over the past 4 years to prove that statement. Hundreds upon hundreds of clubs around the country have been in business for YEARS. Acme Comedy Company here in downtown, 25 years in business. Look at all the clubs in NYC who have been around for YEARS. Clubs dont make money because someone does not have a club how to run it or started the club in a bad location, doesn’t understand how to market the business and quite possibly the talent were not up to par.
Sorry for being so long winded but I want to reassure everyone that I feel pretty confident I will deliver a quality product to Burnsville because I did my homework, not thought about it for 5 minutes and then entered a post on a website.
Mike
July 10th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Mike,
Thank you, as always, for your excellent responses and your attempt to bring affordable and fun entertainment to the South Metro.
July 10th, 2009 at 8:43 am
I hate going to MOA.
July 10th, 2009 at 9:34 am
“Whit o’ wit” “I hate going to MOA.”
I know for a FACT you are NOT the only one thinking this! And it supports my arguement above.
And when someone says I’m doomed to fail before I even get my doors open just fires me up cuz I know it was an comment “slung from the hip” without any factual data to back it up. If I’m doomed to fail, please show me the data to support it.
Did you know that the Founder of FedEx did a college paper on delivering packages OVERNIGHT.. his professor gave him a “C” saying “It will NEVER work”. He is STILL the CEO today of FedEx.
I know my business isn’t in the same catagory as FedEx but if business owners quit just because someone told them “You will fail right out of the gate”, believe me there would be no Wendy’s, KFC, Microsoft, FedEx, Google, Facebook to name a few.
I actually take great pride in my ability to market my business. The newpaper articles that you have seen written the past couple days is because my business, as little as it is…is getting A LOT of visibility. And not only because of BPAC. I was getting press before that. I’m an airline pilot who not only has a club business but actually performs standup comedy! Thats a unique combination and I use it to my advantage..why not!! I have had many articles written about me because of that and the Pioneer Press article written back in February actually hit the AP newswire.
Not only do I market my business the usual way of Newspapers, flyers at restaurants, etc but I like to think outside the box for grassroots marketing.
I asked the owners of LS Pizza Shack in Burnsville if I can put my comedy show flyer on thier pizza boxes that are going out for delivery. Owners Dave and Amy Ellis were more than happy to and it has actually done well. Its a win/win for both parties. I get my comedians on air interviews, most recently on the KQ Morning show back in May. That was HUGE.
Anyways, I didnt mean this post to be long and drawn out but I got rambling.
All I ask is before you guys shoot from the hip that I’m gonna fail, take some time to learn about my business, learn about who I am as a person and business owner and take a good hard look the location. Will it be well received? YOU BETCHA.. Unlike many club owners, I will answer all questions and return phone calls and emails. The more you know about me I think the more you will be willing to check out my comedy club.
Wow.. All this writing and its only 9:30am! I better stop! I dont want to peak too early!
Mike
July 10th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Great responses Mike, although long!
I am excited for the comedy club, and the new restaraunt. I might pay $35 to see a comedian once per year. I might pay $12 to see one every three or four months. So I think the demand will be there for your product.
The big risk I see for you, at least the risk you will have in getting my $$, is that the restaraunt wont be good. If I can go have a great dinner and catch a comedy show, all 10 minutes from my house, count me in. But if the food is not up to par, your business is going to suffer with it.
I am excited about both, and cant wait for the opening. I hope its a fun place to spend the evening with friends.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Chad,
You are absolutely right about food. You need a winning combination.. Great Food, Great Service and Great entertainment. I believe that we have a winning combination or it will suffer. But the owner of Anthony’s Parkway Grill has been in the business long enough to make sure his restaurant meets and exceeds customer expections.
And you are spot on about seeing a comedy show once every few months. So what I have developed, though not completely unique is a “Laugh-a-Lot” Card. Attend 5 comedy shows and get the 6th one free. I have been experimenting with this at my shows in mankato and it has generated quite a few returning customers.
I think the quality of the talent will be consistent enough that people will return more often just like good food at a restaurant.
I have developed a unique happy hour concept which the new owner and I will work on together. Every bar/restaurant has a happy hour. What will make US different? How can we stand out? I would like to have a 30min comedy showcase in the bar area on the main level using 5-6 local comedians who are up and comers but seasoned. It will allow me to support the local comedy scene and give our customers new happy hour experience.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Oh.. and yes, I do have a risk.. if we didnt have risk in a business, then EVERYBODY would be doing it. But if you realize your risks and prepare the best you can for them, then hopefully you will minimize or eliminate the outcome of that risk.
I have a saying “Success comes after many failures”. Not many succeed because they did it right the first time from the get go. There’s a learning curve. I just made most of my ‘learning’ happen before getting to this point. Am I done learning? No way. Will I trip up? yes.. and I will make it better the next time? you bet.. But I can’t be success unless YOU like what I’m delivering and I take great pride in what I have to offer and I learned alot along the way.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Mike O, being a pilot and a standup comedian do you vet your jokes on the captive passengers during the pre take off and during the flight?
Yes, I think it was Ralphie May on the KQ morning show plugging his show at the PAC. Should focus on getting more interviews with the comedians in the media days before they appear at Anthony’s, will be tough to compete against ACME/Hanson in this space on KQ, but there are several other forums, KARE 11 Sat Show, etc that you should go after.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:09 am
You could have Bill do a pre show interview on his Blog with the comedians!
July 10th, 2009 at 11:17 am
{You could have Bill do a pre show interview on his Blog with the comedians!
}
I would definately be up for that! I have had contacted Showcase Minnesota on Kare11 and they invited my comedian on the air back in May but he wasn’t able to get here from Detroit in time to do the show so there is interest from the media about my comedians.
You are right about KQ being competitive within comedy. But they arent the only gig in town. The time my comedian was on it was a great experience and Terri and the gang were awesome.
I never did jokes to my passengers. It only takes ONE person to complain cuz they were offended and then I’m toast!!
Actually I got laid off from my airline job back in April. Maybe its a sign that comedy will be my new career!
July 10th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Mike O., Good luck with Marc Yaffee tonight and tomorrow. The shows do not show up as sold out at the PAC but wish you the best in selling them out.
July 10th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
If you are interested in hearing Marc Yaffee’s interview this morning on WCCO, you can find it here (I hope this board lets me post links) http://www.minnehahacomedyclub.com/marcyaffee.mp3
mike
July 11th, 2009 at 3:59 am
I and others who have travelled the world in search of A-list comedy from Hermosa Beach to the Montreal Festival are very skeptical about a dank basement comedy club in a stinky old building that hasn’t had fresh air in it for years. Have you seen the new club at MOA? Have you talked to Richard Bronson in-person? I want to give you the benefit of my support because I like comedy and I know quite a bit about the business side of hiring comedians and everything that goes with it. Your responses here are what I would call, “sweet”. I would tell you not to spend money you don’t have. And if you have a family, be careful to protect them and don’t let them get flushed right along with you. I’ve never heard of a comedy club owner who doesn’t have a liquor license succeed unless it is in the Christian comedy genre. Is that where you are heading?
July 11th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Larry,
Do you actually think a new building owner is gonna open a building that is stinky? Also, not exactly sure of the meaning ‘dank’ but I kinda get the concept. The new building owner is putting a TON of money into gutting out the building and renovating so it feels fresh and new.
I have met with Rick Bronson of The House of Comedy. His venue is emmaculate but he also has a lot of venture capital behind him from numerous sources. The MOA may have worked a partnership with him to help reduce his rent for example( I dont know that but some malls will negotiate with tenants if they want you in there. For example, the 4 anchor stores, Sears, Nordstroms, Macy’s and Bloomingdales did NOT pay rent to MOA for the first 5 years the mall was open to attract them to the location)
I also have a lot of experience with booking comedians and all that goes along with it. I’m not an amateur at this by a long shot.
Not sure why you assume I dont have a liquor license. In Rochester, Goonies Comedy Club and McGoonies Restaurant, all in the same building owned by the same person has 2 seperate liquor licenses.
But the inside details of my business..ie.. partnership details, operation details with regards to finanicial interests will not be discussed in this forum
July 11th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
“Not sure why you assume I dont have a liquor license. In Rochester, Goonies Comedy Club and McGoonies Restaurant, all in the same building owned by the same person has 2 seperate liquor licenses.
But the inside details of my business..ie.. partnership details, operation details with regards to finanicial interests will not be discussed in this forum”
Good luck to you, sir. You certainly qualify as a dreamer. I hope there are no posts in your room like there are in the Acme Comedy Club to obstruct views. Theirs is one of the ugliest comedy clubs in the country, yet they seem to do well. And I have been into the new club at MOA (not yet open) and it reminds me of the clubs in San Antonio and Kansas City. . . too wide, but not deep. One last bit of advice and then, I’ll let it go. Keep your eye on the booze money. This is where your future lies. It has very little to do with comedy. It is all about consumption. If you lose sight of this you will surely fail.
July 11th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Well, you certainly seem to be the expert. Surprised you havent constructed your own ‘A’ Room. A lot of the times posts are unavoidable to hold up an upper level but you work around it. No room is 100% perfect so you make work arounds and make do with what you have.
July 11th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Well, you certainly seem to be the expert.
Yes. Thank you.
Surprised you havent constructed your own ‘A’ Room.
Way too much risk. 9 out of 10 fail. Plus a town this size can only support one “A” room. It will be a battle to watch Bronson vs. Acme. Both will carve it up so bad that when it is over, you might have a chance to swoop in and pick up the pieces. But you’ve got to lay low and hang on. It will be a rocky road ahead for all.
July 11th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I think Acme has thier down niche and demographic as well as Bronson’s room at the MOA. The one that will definately suffer is The Joke Joint at the Ramada at the MOA. With no money to advertise and small crowds it will be a struggle to complete with a powerhouse like House of Comedy. I still believe there is room south of the river for a comedy club my size. But you never know unless you take the risk and make a go at it. I don’t want to have this grand plan in my hands and not execute and then say years later “Geez.. if I ONLY opened a club!”
You mention 9 out of 10 fail. But it would be interesting to know WHY they failed? Poor location selection? Mismanagement? Poor quality talent? Poor service during the shows? No capital investment to weather through the first 2-3 years of losses. Sometimes stats are bland to me and like to dig deeper into why certain places or things didn’t work and use it to my advantage to steer clear.
In the end, if the club doesn’t make it, then at least I can say I pursued a dream of owning a business.. a comedy club business and it was great ride while it lasted..
July 11th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Larry,
If you enlighted us with your background in comedy/business maybe it would give some validity to your posts..
Give us the 411.
July 12th, 2009 at 12:44 am
There are many reasons and combinations of reasons why comedy clubs fail.
I would say that the primary one is that the value of the product is underappreciated by the audience because the tickets become too cheap and available for little or free. The audience for comedy clubs is finite, not never-ending. When the finite crowd realizes that they don’t need to pay for the tickets because the owners comp so many tickets, the overall perception becomes, “Why should I pay for that when last week I saw similar for free?” And the crowd quickly figures out –AS I HAVE BEEN TELLING ANYONE WHO READS THIS– that the money is being made on the booze and not on the cover. When too many operators are in the same market, they kill each other by going after the same finite audience members and watering down and cheapening the value of the product. They are eating their children’s future.
There is nothing cheaper to stage than stand-up comedy . . . a couple of lights, a microphone and a tiny stage and you are in business. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. In addition to destroying the perceived value of the product, the second most popular reason that comedy clubs fail is bad buying. And this is because so many of the buyers and club owners don’t speak the “language”. They are forced to deal with agents at William Morris or ICM or wherever who are aggressive Jewish vultures fully prepared to take advantage of ill-informed and poorly versed buyers . . . especially in the Midwest and South. East and West buyers and clubs seem to do better in this regard.
But again, I wish you luck, and urge you to watch the booze and the cash for the booze.
And where is the Ramada at the Mall of America?
July 12th, 2009 at 2:56 am
The Ramada is the old Thunderbird Hotel withing a mile of the MOA and right next to Ikea.
July 12th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Mike O. I attended the 10:00 Marc Yaffee show tonight. Bought my ticket at 9:00 PM, used my AAA discount, paid the $2.00 facility fee which is a joke in itsself and saw it was ticket #31. As you know the audience was rather light for the 10:00 show, ~16 people. The show was good, Marc did his homework to build into his act the local attractions and cities. He did a good job interacting with the crowd even though it was only slightly larger than a jury as he pointed out at the beginning of his act. All in all the two comedians and MC did a good job. It was my first time in the Black Box Theater. Not a whole lot to the theatre and it makes me ill to think that this 60′ x 60′ room with a few lights and padded chairs is really the only portion of the facility that is being used and generates a draw to the PAC and it cost us $20 Million and $3M for people to park. Look forward to attending more shows in the future at the new venue this fall.
I did find it interesting that when I walked into the PAC at 9PM there was a church mass of sorts going on in the upper level atrium.
http://www.ithehouse.org/thehouse/
While waiting for the show to start I got to witness first hand the fountain outside the PAC that the tax payers got socked for another $500K to bring up to health department code. I found it irritating to see children in disposable diapers using the fountain and kids on their mountin bikes in the fountain, both activites clearly against the “rules” articulated on signs. It is only a matter of days (or has probably already happened) before some child is seriously hurt after slipping or being pushed and cracking open thier skull on the rocks or sides of the fountain. I do not envision allowing my kids to play in the water after seeing these children in water logged disposable diapers and the general safeness of this fountain with all of the rough housing with no supervision of these children, as I did not see adults supervising their children for more than half that were there at 9 PM at night.
July 12th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Thanks for coming out to the show last night.. We had 20 at the 10pm show. The 7:30pm show was around 60 and friday’s show was 64. I would say for the Summer and a beautiful cool night, I was satisified with the turn out. I appreciate supporting my efforts.
Larry, Thanks for taking the time to point some these things out. The Ramada is 1/2mile from MOA next to the Marriot.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:22 am
A nice fluff piece in Thisweek about the MinneHAHA Comedy Club at Anthony’s Parkway Grille: http://www.thisweeklive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12775&Itemid=2
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:07 am
I’m hoping that the new comedy club I’m opening will be a positive part of Burnsville. Everyone needs to laugh. Its a great release from every day hustle and bustle. Hope to see everyone there!