Yuk-Yuks

Yuk Yuk's is a national comedy club chain in Canada, founded by former stand-up comedian Mark Breslin and established in 1976 by Breslin and long-time friend Joel Axler. The company is currently run by Breslin and his long-time partner and President Jeff Silverman. The head office is located in downtown Toronto. Currently there are 15 Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Clubs in six provinces across Canada.

Yuk Yuk's primarily uses talent under exclusive contract to its in-house agency, Funny Business Talent Inc., but it also books popular American stand-up comics to tour their clubs from coast to coast.

The first Yuk Yuk's shows were held on Wednesday nights in 1976 in the basement of The 519 Church Street Community Centre on Church Street, downtown Toronto. After two years Breslin and Axler opened their first full-time location at 1280 Bay Street on March 14, 1978 with a handful of comics including Larry Horowitz, Lou Dinos, Bruce Bell, Lawrence Morgenstern and Chas Lawther and has grown into a talent agency with a roster of over 250 of the best Canadian comics. In 1982 Jeff Silverman joined the firm as Vice President of Marketing and was made President of Yuk Yuk’s in 1985. Silverman has a long history in film, music and TV production. Silverman oversees all company projects and operation, and is involved, with CEO Mark Breslin, in every facet of company development, television production, product licensing and corporate expansion.

In 1984 Breslin opened his second location in the nation’s Capital, Ottawa, Ontario. Ottawa comics and comedy fans flocked to the only comedy club in the city (originally at the Beacon Arms Hotel now known as Capitol Hill Suites), with their first headliner, Mike MacDonald. In that same year Yuk Yuk’s Hamilton was opened at the Connaught Hotel with Donny Coy headlining. By 1986 Breslin had successfully opened two more locations in Niagara Falls, Ontario and Mississauga, Ontario.

From the late 1980s throughout the late 90’s Breslin was able to open two Yuk Yuk’s comedy clubs out west in Edmonton and Calgary as well as two in Ontario, Ajax and London.

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