Yuk Yuk's comedy club is moving—and upsizing—to downtown London
CBC
A storied comedy club that has been near and dear to the hearts of Londoners since the late 1980s is making a local comeback—this time permanently.
Yuk Yuk's is opening a new location in London, marking the fourth time the club has moved since opening in the city in 1987, with a new space currently under construction in the lower level of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in the core.
"We know we have an awful lot of fans that came to Yuk Yuk's in London all the time. There's a good chance that Londoners will be able to see some pretty big names, as well as our usual complement of regulars," said Mark Breslin, the founder and CEO of Yuk Yuk's, a national comedy club chain founded in 1976.
Most recently, the London Yuk Yuk's club called a location in the Western Fair District home, where it rented a room upstairs from the casino. Now, they're moving a stone's throw away from their second location at the corner of Wellington and York.
The new venue at 300 King Street will have room for 240 people, making it one of Yuk Yuk's larger clubs. After renovation, it will look similar to other clubs across Canada, Breslin said.
"There were other places we were looking at that we could have opened up in the last year, but they would have been compromises and I didn't want to make the compromise," he said. "Sometimes it's better to wait and do it right."
Londoner Jordan Minter believes the decision to wait for the perfect venue paid off.
He's a comedian of 30 years who started his career at Yuk Yuk's while the club was located near the intersection of Southdale and Wellington roads.
"A good night at Yuk Yuk's can be anywhere from 75 to 120 people. Now you combine 240 seats, the fact that it's built into a hotel and is attached to a convention centre, and downtown," said Minter, who performs solo, and as part of a duo act called Twisted Mint. "It's a sound move for sure."
The local comedy scene has struggled for the past few years with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated gathering restrictions, Minter said. While some breweries, bars, and other venues have done a good job keeping the scene alive, a fully operational comedy club will help breathe new life into local comedy, he said.
Comedians from near and far have always clamoured to have opportunities to be seen in front of the iconic red brick wall that Yuk Yuk's clubs are known for having on-stage. That's a testament to the club's status as a gathering place for high tier comedy in London, Minter said.
"Not only do I want to show up, but good grief, hire me, man. I'll wash dishes. I don't care. Just just get me in there," Minter joked. "I've performed at every [London Yuk Yuk's] over the past 30 years. It would be an honour to come back and do a set or help out in any way I can."
The new London Yuk Yuk's club will open next month.
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