A new concept blending a diner, bar and comedy cellar is coming to Philadelphia.
Claude’s Comedy Club & Bar, owned by entertainment veteran Reid Benditt, is set to open at 1123 S. Broad Street.
“I’ve been working for a bunch of music venues over the years and doing comedy on the side. I started performing sketch and then producing stand-up shows and produced a comedy fest on South Street in 2019 with a few others and got the itch. I was just wrapped in the comedy world from there,” Benditt told What Now Philadelphia.
The venue’s name pays tribute to Benditt’s family roots.
“Claudia is my mom, and her brother, one of the funny ones in the family, would call her Claude. She’s always been good, so I figured this would make a nice birthday present a few years ago. When I told her what it would be, her reaction was crying of joy,” he said.
The interior will feature two areas: a bar and a showroom. The menu will offer shareable finger foods and snacks, including hot dogs and grilled cheese. A drink list will focus on cocktails and beer.
“It’s a diner meets bar kind of vibe. The bar will live as its own thing, where you do not need a ticket to enter. Then we have the showroom just the next room over, and it’ll be a nice, intimate room for stand-up comedy and comedy shows,” Benditt said.
Benditt said Claude’s will be about half the size of Helium, a well-known Philadelphia comedy club.
“There are smaller cities in the country that have more comedy clubs than we do, so I think there’s room for more here,” he said. “I’m just trying to do comedy in a new space in Philly, just trying to do something small and familiar. No two-drink minimum. Ticket prices won’t be that expensive. Just trying to make things nice and accessible to everyone.”
Benditt is eager to spotlight emerging talent.
“I’m just looking forward to getting a whole bunch of acts in the city that otherwise might get skipped over, or they might not be big enough. I’m really hoping to get a nice, diverse range of comics that can come to the city and be fun,” he said.
An official opening date has not yet been determined as Benditt awaits permit and zoning approvals after applying for a special exception for assembly and entertainment. The exception would allow the space to host up to 200 people instead of 50.
“It’s just clearing those hurdles like food, LCB, L&I inspection and zoning. We’ve got four boxes to check and they’re coming up soon,” he said.
Visit the Claude’s Comedy Club & Bar website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
