THUNDER BAY - You can say that it is both a laughing matter and a serious business matter for Thunder Bay's Crickets Comedy Club.
The founder of the business, currently operating in the basement of the Royalton Hotel on Bay Street, says he has been contacted by a company that wants to open 24 other Crickets locations in cities across the country.
Chris Mulawyshyn said he can't identify the partner publicly yet, but "They like the logic behind it, they like the personal aspect, they love the comics, they love the class aspect of the club. They would like it in all of their venues that have the space across Canada."
In an interview on Thursday, Mulawyshyn said the parties have an agreement in principal, but "the fine points are not finished yet." He said they hope to sign the deal on October 21.
Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Brandon and locations in B.C. are potential locales.
Mulawyshyn said "People need to laugh. People need to have a night out that is cost-effective. The 10-dollar price point, I'm hoping that can be kept all across the board. That's another thing that has to get sorted out."
He contrasted that with the much larger cost of seeing a show at a venue such as the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
According to Mulawyshyn, if the agreement for expansion is finalized, it won't change how Crickets is operated in Thunder Bay. "Just having a good time for that hour and a half. That's all it's built for," he said.
