Food, drinks, and comedy: How a Charlotte restaurant is getting into the attractions business
What happens when a restaurant becomes an attraction? That’s the question on the minds of the entrepreneurs behind The Comedy Club at Duckworth’s — a new venue in Uptown Charlotte and a small-business experiment.
Duckworth’s is a locally owned restaurant in Charlotte, N.C. that recently repurposed its upstairs dining space into “The Comedy Club at Duckworth’s.” The entry level of the building maintains its casual restaurant / sports bar atmosphere. The basement likewise is still known as the “cellar,” akin to more of a lounge. Upstairs, though, Duckworth’s is experimenting with an expanded business model — one that includes live comedy.
For the price of a show ticket ($20-$30) and a required minimum of two items from the menu (which serves full meals as well as small bites and drinks), Duckworth’s guests support the small business’ efforts to expands the options of live comedy in Charlotte.
Surrounded by ongoing construction of long-term city projects — most notably a massive rebuild of the flagship branch of the library — Duckworth’s opening a comedy club checks a few boxes and is indicative of a larger story. As a longtime tenant of Uptown Charlotte, Duckworth’s experimenting with its business model speaks to the current demand for stand-up comedy and the willingness of the restaurant to double as an attraction.
This makes sense, as the inverse is also true: in recent years, the attractions industry has prioritized its food and beverage offerings more and more, with themed dining being as much of an incentive for some guests to visit as a new ride. Food and entertainment pair well together, and Duckworth’s is meeting the moment.
Duckworth’s invited us to visit on Jan. 11, 2025 during Opening Weekend for the new Charlotte comedy club. We enjoyed comedian Liz Barlow, local comic Joy Wills, and headliner Leah Rudick. The narrow layout of the space feels converted rather than purpose-built (because, well, it is), but this could change with time.
Duckworth’s calendar is booked through September 2025, indicating its management is in it for the long haul and wanting to give the business experiment a fair amount of time to settle in before evaluating its long-term future.
In addition to Duckworth’s Comedy Club, Charlotte’s stand-up scene also includes Comedy Zone (a full-time comedy club) and, for larger audiences, Ovens Auditorium and occasionally Spectrum Center.
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