Originally published January 2020 at https://www.escondido.org.
Escondido Insight — Business Spotlight
Find Laughs in the New Year at Grand Comedy Club in Escondido
Looking for laughs in the New Year? Look no further than Grand Comedy Club on Grand Avenue in Escondido. With a brand new marquee at the front of the building to mark its location, Grand Comedy Club is the latest comedy club in San Diego County and the only one in North County that promises to deliver a lineup of today’s best and funniest comedians on the national comedy circuit.
Comedian Adam Wasserman owns and operates the Grand Comedy Club. Wasserman, an Escondido native, always wanted to bring a comedy club to his hometown and he knew the North County location was the perfect spot to give residents from Escondido and all of North County a place to see comedy without having to drive to downtown San Diego or La Jolla, where the only other comedy clubs in the county reside.
Grand Comedy Club servers greet guests at the front entrance
“I grew up in Escondido, in North County, and there were no comedy clubs; there never have been. As a fan of comedy, I’d have to drive to La Jolla all the time or downtown — it’s far and parking is always a hassle. I’ve always said it would be awesome to have a comedy club in North County,” Wasserman said.
Center stage at the Grand Comedy Club
Wasserman said he looked all over North County for the right spot, but with high rents in other nearby coastal locations, and the need for open space with good acoustics, the perfect location seemed out of reach. Then, while visiting his tax accountant on Grand Avenue, Wasserman spotted a ‘for lease’ sign where a pizzeria used to be. Being a fan of a particular thin crust, square-cut pizza from Wisconsin, Wasserman had hoped to one day bring the recipe to Escondido. He met with the lease manager, who informed him that not only was the pizzeria for lease but the extended patio and adjoining retail space were also available. Wasserman saw this as an opportunity not only to open a comedy club but also the pizzeria, Grand Pizzeria, he had only dreamed about.
The Grand Comedy Club and Grand Pizzeria opened in November 2019 and have been a great addition to Grand Avenue’s eclectic mix of shops and restaurants that line Escondido’s famous downtown thoroughfare.
Order a slice at Grand Pizzeria before catching a show at Grand Comedy Club
Wasserman is quick to point out that his comedy club has a roster of some of today’s most sought-after comedians on the circuit.
The comedy shows have been well received. “People are really excited. I’m bringing top professionals to Escondido,” Wasserman said.
Being a veteran comic himself, Wasserman has worked in top comedy clubs such as The Laugh Factory. Because of this, he has relationships with many professionals and is able to book them at the Grand Comedy Club. “I have the same talent if not better lineups because I know a lot of these people, I know how to book them, and I know what they like. For example, Lachlan Patterson is a big name guy who is going to be here in January.”
Other national headliners such as Chris Franjola, Steve Simeone, San Diego’s Zoltan Kaszas, and Paul Ogata have also headlined in the short time The Grand Comedy Club has been open. Wasserman said that the news of his comedy club is spreading among talent and many are seeking him out to book gigs.
Every seat is a good one at Grand Comedy Club
“I have great lineups because I have relationships with the people I’ve worked with and I’ve known for a long time and have even done shows with them. Now, these people are telling other comedians about the place.”
He attributes this not only to the professional practices he has put in place with the comedians but also the space itself. “The space is amazing, the sound is amazing. The comedians really like it. It’s a nice, intimate room and it holds about 120-to-150 people. The ceilings are low, which makes the acoustics work nicely, and the club showroom works.”
Top comedians perform two shows on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 p.m.-to-9 p.m. An open mic takes place every Sunday starting at 6:30 p.m. Open mic allows local comedians a chance to try out their new material on crowds before they take it on the road. Wasserman said that many professionals have already made this a place to practice their work. “We have a good crowd on Sundays for open mic.”
Locals new to comedy also find Sunday night open mics as a treasure to Escondido. A local favorite, Dan the Man, can often be found stepping up to the microphone. Wasserman said, “Dan comes in every day to eat lunch and does open mics on Sundays.”
When asked about his thoughts on Grand Comedy Club, Dan enthusiastically said, “I heard about a comedy club opening up at that location and asked around to find out who was opening it. I met Adam and started talking to him about doing stand-up at his club. Now they are part of the Grand Avenue family. I love that they’re locals, living and opening their business here.”
Dan the Man performing open mic on a Sunday
Doing stand-up has been something Dan has always wanted to do and it is something he really enjoys. “From when I was young, I’ve always loved entertaining people and making them laugh and smile. I like to bring laughter to my community and brighten peoples’ days. I started doing stand-up comedy at the open mic night at Kettle Coffee and Tea in 2012 and I’ve been doing it ever since. Kettle recently stopped doing open mic and now I do it at the Grand Comedy Club on Sundays. When one door closes, another one opens…literally!”
In addition to the weekend shows, Wasserman is hoping to add a Thursday night lineup in 2020 as well as some other entertainment shows throughout the week including dueling pianos, ventriloquists, and more.
Being a small mom and pop establishment, Wasserman has relied on word-of-mouth to spread the news of his comedy club and the buzz has been terrific. “People are excited. I think people are shocked that we have such great talent, even though we are small.” He also said that people are coming from everywhere in North County and beyond to see the shows. “We are selling tickets to people all over the county. It’s easier to get here than to try to drive to downtown or La Jolla. All of North County is coming here.”
Tickets for shows are $15 with a two-item minimum per person. Upcoming show information can be found at www.grandcomedyclub.com, on Facebook and Instagram. Box office tickets can be purchased at the Grand Pizzeria. The Grand Pizzeria is open seven days a week with pizza, salad, breadsticks, and desserts on the menu.