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New York’s most beloved food institutions are about to moonlight as comedy clubs for five nights straight.
Underground Overground Comedy (also known as ComedyUO), the duo behind the sold-out Katz’s Deli shows and that wild 99-cent AriZona Tea event, is launching its first-ever “Big Small Business Tour,” a weeklong run of after-hours standup inside some of the city’s most iconic food spots. The tour runs January 12–16, 2026, and hits Barney Greengrass, Zabar’s, Veselka, Economy Candy and Russ & Daughters.
The idea came about from sheer winter logic and a little ambition on the part of co-founders David Levine and Ethan Mansoor.
“The thing with iconic spots is that in January or February, they slow down a bit because of fewer tourists,” Levine tells Time Out. “It felt like a perfect moment to do something big with them. We love a challenge, so we asked ourselves how we could think even bigger this year.”
After tossing around the idea of a full-on comedy crawl (mini shows, walking between venues—logistically chaotic, but still on their wish list), the pair landed on a tighter, five-night sprint.
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Each venue is doing something tailored to the space. At Economy Candy, everyone gets a bag of candy when they walk in. Zabar’s guests get a gift card to shop downstairs before the show. Veselka is serving pierogies—boiled or fried—plus borscht. Even the drinks are themed: “At Economy Candy, we’ll make a cocktail with gummy bears in it,” Levine says.
The lineups stay secret, as usual, and every night is different, meaning superfans can double (or triple) up.
Getting these legendary businesses on board took years, patience and a surprising amount of stand-up participation from the owners themselves.
“Gary Greengrass is one of the funniest people we know,” Levine says. “He did a three-minute set at the show the first time and he crushed it.” Zabar’s required a two- to three-year courtship before the team connected with the right person. At Veselka, the owner actually called Katz’s Deli to ask whether they should do it—that was an immediate yes.
It’s the group’s first time attempting a five-night sprint, which means turning over a new room every 24 hours.
“Resetting everything each night is a lot,” Mansoor admits.
The crew is hauling equipment from the Upper West Side to the East Village to Hudson Yards and back, transforming a sturgeon shop one night and a pierogi counter the next. Still, they stick to their rule: the space must look exactly the way they found it.
“At midnight you’d never know we were even there,” Levine explains. That consistency is part of why places like Zabar’s, Veselka and Barney Greengrass were willing to sign on—each venue knows the team will slip in, stage a sold-out comedy show and quietly put the room back together before locking up for the night.
Beyond the laughs, the tour doubles as a celebration of multigenerational New York businesses.
“A lot of people move here after college and don’t know Zabar’s or Barney Greengrass,” Levine says. “These shows get them in the door.” And the institutions are cheering for each other: apparently Barney Greengrass was thrilled Zabar’s was part of it and vice versa.
Tickets go on sale December 22. Pick your favorite institution, grab a seat and consider this your annual reminder that New York comedy (and New York food) is often best after hours.