Jimmy Kimmel Is Opening A Comic-Friendly Comedy Club In Las Vegas

Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel has teamed up with Caesars Entertainment to open up his own comedy club in the city where he grew up, Las Vegas.

The simply named Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club will open in the spring of 2019 at the LINQ Promenade right on the Vegas strip near the High Roller observation wheel and Brooklyn Bowl. The 8,000-square-foot venue, which seats up to 300 guests, will have shows seven nights a week from both major comics and up-and-coming performers.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Kimmel said that he looks forward to building the comedy club from scratch and not just taking over a space that was formerly some other kind of business. The 50-year-old is going to be very involved with the club and will have a hand in all aspects — from the food and drink menus, to the décor (which will feature Kimmel memorabilia), to the comedians that will be booked to perform at the venue.

Most importantly, the former Man Show co-host is hoping that it will be “the perfect comedy club for comedians.” He said that he has had many discussions with his famous friends in the industry to learn what they liked and didn’t like about the various clubs they have previously played.

“There are a lot of considerations,” Kimmel explained.

“The height of the ceiling is important. The sound system is important. The way the food and drinks are served is important — the timing. But also, I want to have no utensils whatsoever in the club. I want the food to all be things you can eat with your hands — I don’t want there to be a lot of clatter. I wanted the comics to be undisturbed as much as possible. And we’ll have a podcast studio in our club, too.”

The comedians that perform at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club will have nice amenities, including a great backstage greenroom and monitors for them to watch other comics on the bill. Also, the performers will not have to walk through the audience to get to the stage.

The entrepreneur is thinking of ways to incorporate Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club into Jimmy Kimmel Live!, such as featuring performances from the venue on his hit ABC series.

Kimmel, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, moved with his family to Las Vegas when he was 9 years old. Over the years, family members and close friends held jobs at Caesars Palace, so he was familiar with the company’s business practices before partnering with them.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that his late Uncle Frank, who often appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, worked as a security guard at the hotel; the show’s bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, played at the casino early on in his career; and Cleto Escobedo Jr., who is in his son’s band, was once a room-service waiter at the hotel.

“This is not a big money-making endeavor! It’s certainly not something I could retire doing,” said Kimmel.

“Honestly, this is for fun. If it were anywhere other than Las Vegas, I wouldn’t be interested. But I’ve always wanted to have a business or a presence of some kind there, and this is perfect for me because it’s comedy and food and cocktails — all things I’m interested in.”