The laughs are here to stay in Long Island City.
In July, the owners of The Laughing Devil Comedy Club, located at 47-38 Vernon Boulevard, announced they would put the venue up for sale.
After nearly two months of searching for the perfect buyer, Steve Hofstetter, co-owner, decided to buy out his partner, Jacob Morvay.
“With my move to LA and my business partner’s new baby, selling the club made sense, but it was not my first choice,” said Hofstetter. “After we had a buyer that backed out at the last minute, our second best offer was to turn it into a bar – and I did not want to see that happen.”
Hofstetter and Morvay started the business in 2011. It became a part of the Long Island City community as it hosted various stand-up shows featuring celebrity comedians.
Along with purchasing the venue, Hofstetter said there will be some additional changes taking place at the comedy club. A wall will be put up to divide the bar and showroom, allowing comedians and patrons to hang out while a show is taking place.
The Laughing Devil will also begin showing classic movies, like “Spaceballs” and “The Big Lebowski,” on Wednesday nights and weekend afternoons.
“I will be passing on some opportunities in LA and coming back to NYC every so often to ensure that the Laughing Devil is here to stay,” said Hofstetter. “In other words, we’re back and we’re better than ever.”
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