Laugh Out Lounge Comedy Club

New Comedy Club Opens In Winter Haven

by James Coulter

Mike Lee, co-host of the Big Max Morning Show on Max 98.3, always wanted to own a comedy club. His dream has since come true now that he has become the co-owner of the Laugh Out Lounge.

Winter Haven’s premier comedy club, located near the corner of Central Avenue and Third Street, right across the street from Central Tavern, is set to open on Nov. 10. Their opening weekend will host the comedy stylings of Ron Feingold, a comedian famous for his “comedy acapella show.”

Mike plans to draw in big name comedians to serve as club headliners for his new venue, providing entertainment most Polk County locals have to travel out of town to enjoy. Other comedians scheduled to perform include Kevin Farley in January and Michael Winslow in February.

“We want to bring as much comedy and laughter to the area,” he said. “Most people, if they want to enjoy a big headliner, they have to drive to Orlando and Tampa to see that. We are hoping to bring that here to Winter Haven where it is a short drive from your house.”

Mike has been a professional entertainer since the ripe age of 19. For ten years, he traveled the country performing improv and sketch comedy. He moved to Winter Haven in 2004 and started his career at Max 98.3 in Lakeland, where he currently co-host’s the station’s morning show.

During that time, he has also hosted and booked many comedy gigs for various venues. One of those venues was Barrel 239, which approached him with an offer that he could not refuse.

“Those shows were so successful there that they approached me and asked me if I wanted to open a club,” he said. “I was like, yeah, that is all I ever wanted to do….it has been a dream of mine forever.”

Ashta Compton, co-owner of Barrel 239, with her partner, Chris Barton, has been hosting monthly comedy gigs at their bar. Customers loved these performances so much that they often requested weekly shows. However, the size of their bar, which often had to be rearranged for these shows, would not permit weekly performances, she said.

“We realized that Winter Haven needed a comedy club, and who else to be partnered with this than Mike Lee?” Ashta said. “We want to do the best we can to give them a genuine comedy club experience, not just a bar that does comedy.”

Helping decorate their new establishment is local artist, Eric Sweetman. His caricatured illustrations of famous comedians like George Carlin, Robin Williams, and Norm MacDonald currently hang from the club walls. Many of these art pieces and their prints are even available for sale.

Co-Owners Ashta Compton, Chris Barton and Mike Lee

Eric has discussed his illustration work with Mike, and he was even selected for a caricature project for the radio station that never quite took off. However, when Mike decided to open his new club, he could think of no better person to create art than Eric.

“He wanted this club idea, and he had reached out to me after looking at me on Instagram where he saw I was doing a lot of caricature work,” Eric said. “He thought this was a great thing to decorate original art of comedians and have a special look for this club.”

Mike and his crew decided to open their venue along Third Street in Downtown Winter Haven, near the intersection of Central Avenue. The downtown area has been growing exponentially over the past five years due to the economic development of the Six/Ten LLC, and they wanted to be a part of that economic growth, Ashta said.

Laugh Out Lounge is conveniently located in the downtown epicenter, right across the street from Central Tavern, and only a short walk away from the parking garage. Being within walking distance of eight eateries and five bars, as well as other shops, boutiques, and venues, they hope to not only draw in foot traffic from other downtown businesses, but help create traffic for them, Asha said.

Mike is currently working with an agent in NYC to book big-name gigs to his new club. As someone with more than a decades’ worth of experience performing and booking comedy gigs, being able to open up a club seemed like the next natural step, and he’s hoping that it’s a successful one.

“We are on the busiest corner for foot traffic,” Chris said. “Anything they want to do before or after the show, they have the opportunity to do, and so it makes it a lot more appealing for a person to walk into a show than to plan the night. The amount of foot traffic versus anywhere else in Winter Haven is better on this corner than anywhere else we can find.”

“"I wanted to have my own place where people can come to enjoy shows, instead of me going to other places to produce shows,” he said. “Chris and Ash are the ones who made it happen. Ash had the idea. Chris made it happen. He found the place. Ash had big experience behind the bar running a club. She knows how to run a club. I know how to book comedians. So, it was the perfect storm of the right place at the right time. I think and hope we are going to be successful.”

Laugh Out Lounge is located at 19 3rd St. NW, Winter Haven, FL 33880. The club is set to open on Nov. 10. For more information, visit their website at: http://winterhavenlol.com.