No joke: Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples gets $1 million face-lift

The one-liners and laughs ended for most of August at Off The Hook Comedy Club but not because the comedians weren't funny.

Few acts were scheduled for the club because the inside of ROW Seafood by Capt. Brien & Crew restaurant underwent a $1 million renovation, said owner Brien Spina.

Whole new look

Anyone who went to the Off The Hook website or called last month may have thought the comedy venue shut down to give club workers time away in the "off-season."

Instead, construction crews over 20 days ripped out much of the restaurant and reconfigured it.

“We're remodeling the front of the house top to bottom, all new furniture and fixtures," Spina said in late August.

New rearranged seating will be "much more conducive to the show," he said, pointing out there's no increased seating but "we just have more spaced-out room with better sight to the stage now."

What's different from former layout

"The biggest changes is the bar we’ve relocated back to the kitchen," Spina said.

The large bar for years was to the left when entering the restaurant, so moving that to the back has "opened up the entire showroom," Spina said.

The showroom is now a square, with better viewing after workers raise and seating around the perimeter of the restaurant. That means new raised, half-circle booths all custom-made leather with velour and hardwood.

The new flooring depicts 3-D cubes and a laser logo emblazed with Off The Hook Comedy Club. The standup stage also was redone, with an updated backdrop expected to be completed by mid-September.

Workers from BRB Builders LLC and David Satmary Naples Renovation Services completed the project, Spina said.

Off The Hook a popular destination year-round

The so-called "off season" in Naples in the past meant fewer sold-out shows but not this year, Spina said.

The last two weekends before closing Aug. 14 for the remodel, every ticket was sold, Spina said. He added that he could've booked actor, comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Pete Davidson in August but they had committed to the project: "That was a bummer."

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Club reopened in late August, what's next

But Spina is not complaining because businss is thriving.

Off The Hook reopened Aug. 31 and expects more big weekends in September, with former "Saturday Night Live" cast member, actor and comedian Chris Kattan performing standup. Upcoming acts also include Long Island native Pete Correale the following weekend and actor, comedian and 1990s' "Mad About You" co-star Paul Reiser in late September.

Comedy club fans said on social media that they were looking forward to the changes.

"Can't wait to see it!" wrote Jenine Shapiro of Naples on Off The Hook's Facebook page.

Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples gets $1 million renovation