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Resurrected club has new location, new challenges
The new location includes a full-service restaurant and bar.
NILES — Five months after it was forced to leave its long-time location in the Holiday Inn MetroPlex in Liberty, the Funny Farm comedy club is ready to break in its new location.
The club will open Friday in the former Damon’s restaurant, 5580 Youngstown-Warren Road (U.S. Route 422).
The Funny Farm had been located inside the Holiday Inn MetroPlex since its inception 19 years ago. It was forced to vacate the site in November because the hotel owner scaled back operations in preparation to sell the entire property. Comedy shows were shifted to the Boardman Holiday Inn during the interim period.
Dave Robich, owner of the Funny Farm, believes he found the perfect location in the former Damon’s Place for Ribs building.
The restaurant was designed with its seating facing a wall of large television screens for sporting events, so it didn’t require much reconfiguring to turn it into a comedy club.
“We lucked out, because the way it’s set up, everything is aimed at one wall,” said Robich.
The venue has booths and tables on four mildly elevated terraces, all angled toward the stage.
It has roughly the same capacity as the old location, but is much more comfortable with wide chairs and booth seating for four to five people. The new location seats about 150 in the comedy club, and a second dining room seats an additional 80.
Robich also said the lighting and sound systems in the new location are big improvements over the old.
“There are big screens on both sides of the stage and monitors throughout the club hooked up to closed circuit television [cameras], which give guests close-up views from all seats,” said Robich.
Robich is taking advantage of the kitchen in his new location — something he didn’t have at the former site — to offer a full-service restaurant and bar.
Patrons who have a pre-show dinner at the club will get priority seating for the show.
The restaurant will also welcome diners who aren’t interested in seeing a comedy show.
It will specialize in continental cuisine with steaks, seafood, salads and more. A separate menu will be available during comedy shows, offering appetizers, sandwiches and other light items.
Robich has hired Gabe Gouvas as his executive chef. Gouvas was most recently the sous chef at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex, and has worked at several other upscale Valley restaurants.
The Funny Farm, which was open only on Fridays and Saturdays, will be open five days a week. A talent showcase will be held every Wednesday, with acts auditioning before a panel of judges — some of whom will be comedians.
Thursdays will be couples night. For $30, couples will get an appetizer, two entrees and two tickets to the comedy show. Robich calls it Thirty-Dollar Thursdays.
Fridays and Saturdays will be reserved for shows by touring comedians.
Sundays will be family-friendly, with magicians, illusionists and comedians whose acts are clean enough for children.
The opening night headliner will be comedian Drew Hastings, a regular guest on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show. Hastings is a native of Ohio who has performed on “The Tonight Show.” He will give a 9 p.m. show Friday and 8 and 10 p.m. shows Saturday.
For a complete schedule, go to funnyfarmcomedyclub.com. For reservations, call (330) 652-4242.