BOCA RATON – Sadman Comedy Productions now has a permanent home – and plenty of caffeine.
David Sadman and Nadeem Awad are in the process of opening the Sadman Comedy Cafe – a coffee shop located off Federal Highway in Boca Raton’s Royal Palm Plaza with a back room for stand-up comedy.
“It’s boutique and it’s focused on providing the ideal environment for a comedian to perform at his best without interruption – which keeps the audience engaged and just makes for a better show,” Sadman said.
Sadman and Awad have been producing some of South Florida’s most highly regarded comedy shows for the past half decade. Both have extensive restaurant industry experience.
“I’ve always envisioned myself eventually having my own place, and then started doing comedy about five years ago,” Sadman said. “It just made sense to me to be able to bring these worlds together and do something special.”
The Sadman Comedy Cafe held a soft opening of sorts on Saturday, with approximately three dozen friends and family members on hand to see both owners perform ahead of headliner Cris Machado.
“I liked the quaintness,” Machado said afterward. “I liked that if this place sells out, you’re still gonna have that life-of-the-party feel where you’re just the funny guy at a party, as opposed to being at a theater where you’re trying to work a crowd. It’s just you right in front of people and just trying to be funny.”
The room’s 5-foot-by-5-foot stage rises about six inches off the ground. Re-purposed church pews line the walls, and a hodgepodge of folding chairs and a living room furniture providing a hanging-out-in-someone’s-basement feel.
“Eighty percent of the New York comedy places I’ve been are like this,” Machado said.
Sadman, a Brooklyn native, couldn’t be happier with Machado’s comparison.
“That’s the inspiration and the influence that we targeted,” he said.
The Sadman Comedy Cafe’s first official show is scheduled for Saturday, with heavyweight Jimmy Shubert headlining. A limited number of the $25 tickets remain available.
Sadman is currently booking future shows, with the goal being a combination of national acts and “some of the better talent in the local area.”
At the moment the Sadman Comedy Cafe will only host weekend shows, but the plan is to grow to at least four nights per week. Sadman is also considering hosting musical acts, potentially on the front patio, and an open mic night that would allow comedians to work on their new material.
Sadman Comedy Productions will continue producing their monthly shows at the Turtle Tavern and Movies of Delray, both in Delray Beach, along with their twice-monthly Biergarten show in Boca Raton. The Biergarten and Turtle Tavern shows, along with the Sunday Night shows at Monroe’s Red Light in West Palm Beach – now produced by Abby Ballin – are the longest continuously active shows in Palm Beach County.
The coffee side of the business remains a work in progress. Additional kitchen equipment is expected to arrive in the coming days. Sadman plans to offer bagels croissants and pastries for guests to munch while sipping their American-style coffees, espressos, cappuccinos and herbal teas.
An appetizer menu is available during shows. Sadman is in the process of acquiring a beer and wine license.
The hours of operation are currently fluid.
“We are not at full strength, but we are definitely open for people to come in, have a cup of coffee, and check things out,” Sadman said.
The Sadman Comedy Cafe is located at 209 SE First Ave. in Boca Raton.
