Nottingham is to get a new purpose-built comedy club to fill the gap after Jongleurs pulled out of the city.
Just The Tonic, which has been operating in the city since 1994, will get its own permanent 300-seater home from March.
Jongleurs suddenly closed its branches in Nottingham and four other cities last month as owners Regent Inns went into pre-pack administration – sparking a major shake-up in the comedy club industry.
New owners Intertain – run by Regent’s former management team – have lost control of the Jongleurs brand name, which means the remaining ten venues will be rebranded in January.
Meanwhile, Maria Kempinska and John Davy, who founded the chain, plan to open almost 30 venues using the Jongleurs name in the next two years. Yesterday, Davy told pub trade newspaper the Morning Advertiser that he was looking to hook up with a major bar chain to help grow the new empire.
He said: ‘We are in talks with a couple of major pubcos at the moment with a view to either franchising the brand for sole operators, or offering a larger UK or territory licence.’