It’s in a Dave and Buster’s…so is it a comedy club?

Yes, it’s a club (shows run twice a night on Fridays and Saturdays), and as far as its pairing with the ol’ D&B, the Comedy Zone folks wouldn’t have it any other way. Their business model revolves around launching stand-up venues within existing destinations: There’s one in Jacksonville, Florida, inside a Ramada Inn. Doria says they plan to open similar clubs in Dallas; Honolulu; Columbus, Ohio; San Diego; and Miami soon, with the goal of 20 before year’s end. Doria sees the Chicago operation as a win-win situation: Clubgoers can head upstairs when the show’s over and D&B pulls in the comedy-crowd dough. The room itself is nice enough: red flowing curtains, bar in the back—it’s just odd to walk past a claw machine on the way in. Plus, à la the Improv in Schaumburg, there’s no foyer to mill about beforehand and peruse pictures of past performers.

Why are the prices so high?

Similar spots around town, like Zanies and Jokes and Notes, set you back roughly 20 to 25 bucks, and the Improv averages somewhere in there as well. The Comedy Zone takes things a step further, offering patrons a buffet of better-than-average grub (like Greek salad) for $39.99 at 7pm before the 8pm show. Those who just want the laugh-laugh at 8 or 10pm need only shell out $22 bucks—not crazy. As with Zanies, there’s an additional two-item minimum associated with your ticket. Dinner and comedy together isn’t a new concept—the Improv has a fairly basic menu if you get hungry—but it is unusual in these parts to offer the option of a meal-included evening. “This isn’t a place to just go and grab a show. They wanna try to keep you around,” Doria admits. “Sure, we have a comedy show, but it brings more revenue in if we sell you dinner at the same time.”

What’s up with the comics? Who are they?

Doria is quick to point out that, initially, he doesn’t have much say about who goes up at his club. The Comedy Zone corporate office sends the comics, all represented by Heffron Talent International, a North Carolina–based agency. On its website (heffrontalent.com), Heffron says that the Comedy Zone is its most popular “product.” The site further explains that the Comedy Zone was created in 1984 to increase drink sales at hotels and the like, sales that were waning due to tougher DUI laws and, shortly thereafter, a higher drinking age. Thankfully, what we saw opening night had comic potential: While local MC Kyle Lane and feature act Troy Davis were mind-numbingly bland, headliner Spanky Brown killed. He railed against the “ignoraciousness” of racial stereotypes, pointing out that the only color that really makes a difference is green (“If you’ve got no green, we all hate yo ass”). It was smart material we hope to see more of, and it sounds like Doria, who’s been familiar with Chicago comedy since the ’80s, will have a larger hand in bookings later on.

Is this what Chicago needs?

Although Zanies is only a few blocks away, Doria feels there’s room for another club in city limits. Given the fact that alternative rooms run only on certain nights and touring comics tend to gravitate toward big concert venues, he may be right. Still, we can’t shake the feeling that the Comedy Zone is, to quote Heffron’s website, an “entertainment solution”: a cookie-cutter destination to draw crowds off Clark Street. But give us more comics like Brown, and we won’t care.

Enter the Zone with headliner Matt Davis Friday 8.