Yuk Yuk's
Encyclopedia
Yuk Yuk's is a national comedy club
chain in Canada
, owned by former stand-up
comedian Mark Breslin
and established in 1977 by Breslin and Joel Axler. The head office of the franchise and its "superclub" are located in downtown Toronto
, and there are clubs in 14 other cities in six provinces across Canada.
Yuk Yuk's primarily uses talent under exclusive contract to its in-house agency, Funny Business Inc., but it also books popular American stand-up comics to tour clubs from coast to coast.
The first Yuk Yuk's shows were held on Wednesday nights in 1977 in Toronto at a former community centre bowling alley on Church Street. It was replaced by a full-time club on Bay Street that opened on March 14, 1978 with Chas Lawther
as the featured performer during the first week. Howie Mandel
, Rick Moranis
, Larry Horowitz, Tom Green
, Norm Macdonald
, Mike MacDonald, and Jim Carrey
were some of the most popular acts from the Toronto comedy scene in the early years of Yuk Yuk's. Mandel and Carrey later clashed with Breslin and were banned from the club, as were many others. Mandel would host the 25th anniversary celebration of Yuk Yuk's in 2002.
The current Yuk Yuk's are located in the following cities: Ajax
, Barrie
, Edmonton
, Halifax, Hamilton
, Kitchener
, London
, Mississauga, Niagara Falls
, Ottawa
, Toronto
, Calgary
, Vancouver
and St. John's.
Windsor location is currently closed and is offering the franchise for purchase.
Comedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
chain in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, owned by former stand-up
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
comedian Mark Breslin
Mark Breslin
Mark Breslin is a Canadian entrepreneur, stand-up comedian and actor best known for being the founder of Yuk Yuk's, the largest chain of comedy clubs in Canada.He made several guest appearances in the Robocop: The Series television series....
and established in 1977 by Breslin and Joel Axler. The head office of the franchise and its "superclub" are located in downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and there are clubs in 14 other cities in six provinces across Canada.
Yuk Yuk's primarily uses talent under exclusive contract to its in-house agency, Funny Business Inc., but it also books popular American stand-up comics to tour clubs from coast to coast.
The first Yuk Yuk's shows were held on Wednesday nights in 1977 in Toronto at a former community centre bowling alley on Church Street. It was replaced by a full-time club on Bay Street that opened on March 14, 1978 with Chas Lawther
Chas Lawther
Charles "Chas" Lawther is a British-born Canadian actor, comedian and writer.Lawther came to local prominence in Toronto when in the 1980s he created the character of Chuck The Security Guard for CFMT-TV's The All-Night Show, on the ostensible premise that as the station's night security he would...
as the featured performer during the first week. Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel
Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...
, Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
, Larry Horowitz, Tom Green
Tom Green
Michael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
, Norm Macdonald
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
, Mike MacDonald, and Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
were some of the most popular acts from the Toronto comedy scene in the early years of Yuk Yuk's. Mandel and Carrey later clashed with Breslin and were banned from the club, as were many others. Mandel would host the 25th anniversary celebration of Yuk Yuk's in 2002.
The current Yuk Yuk's are located in the following cities: Ajax
Ajax, Ontario
Ajax is a town in the Durham Region in the Greater Toronto Area.The town is named for the HMS Ajax a Royal Navy cruiser that served in World War II. Ajax is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and the...
, Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Halifax, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Mississauga, Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and St. John's.
Windsor location is currently closed and is offering the franchise for purchase.