The Comedy Store comedy club opened on Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip in 1972.
The club opened on April comedy? Its founding date is generally given as April 1972, when comedians Sammy Shore, Rudy De Luca, and comedian Mitzi Shore established the venue in a former restaurant space. The club became one of the most important stages in American stand-up.
The Comedy Store helped launch or develop the careers of numerous comedians, including Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Richard Pryor, and Sam Kinison. Its famous Main Room and Original Room became associated with late-night sets, industry scouting, and competitive live comedy.
The venue’s history is sometimes confused with that of The Improv, another major Los Angeles comedy club. The Improv’s original Hollywood location opened in 1963, nearly a decade before The Comedy Store.