Which Comes First, the Profits or the Punchlines?

Photo by New York Said on Unsplash

Little Village. Moseys Downtown. St Andy’s Sports Pub. Dicks Last Resort. Bun Lab. Kaleidoscope Theatre. House of Henry. Papa Joe’s Bayside. Captain Anderson’s Event Center.

Panama City, FL – Calling nearly all of Bay County home, Panama City comedy has become an influential cultural phenomenon that has positively affected the area’s restaurants, bars, and other local businesses. In a city characterized for feeding off of tourism, the local comedy brand has consistently given locals a reason to venture out amongst all the city’s rotating visitors; providing laughter to its audiences and foot traffic to a wide array of businesses.

By providing quality shows, Panama City Comedy provides a secondary effect on businesses by limiting the decrease in foot traffic to local businesses during the city’s off-season. Cities that rely on tourism tend to “slow down” during certain seasons, but because comedy isn’t reliant on time of year, locals still have something to look forward to regardless of the weather.  

It’s not all about business though. Many of the venues partnered with Panama City Comedy have a personal interest as well. Take the Bun Lab, located in Laketown Wharf on Panama City Beach for example. Camellia Johnson, the owner, is an avid fan of comedy, who has reached out to owner Jason Hedden on multiple occasions about increasing the frequency of shows. “Panama City Comedy doesn’t disappoint; I love their shows and wish we could spread the word farther to surrounding cities so people there could experience this as well.”

“It’s amazing, it’s a lot of fun,” responded Johnson, when asked what it was like to host a Panama City Comedy. “You have all these different people from different places feeling all these amazing positive things, laughing and having a good time all in one place. For me, that gives me as the owner, such a high.” 

After assuming ownership of Bun Lab in September of 2025, Johnson has been aggressive about pursuing the possibility of not only having more shows at her venue, but possibly providing a location for a comedy open mic as well. “I find the local comics to be fresh, clever, creative, and commanding of the stage” Johnson goes on, “We have so many, from different generations and backgrounds, all with different takes on things past and present. In this city alone, we really have something for everyone!”

On the surface, it seems like local businesses are happy to enjoy the benefits of Panama City Comedy’s reputation of consistently providing quality shows leading to their venues experiencing a stable customer base because people know they can count on a good show every weekend. But on a deeper level? On a community level? The businesses are really choosing to partner with Panama City Comedy because they themselves also like comedy. The town may draw people in with its allure of being a destination spot for tourists to party. But local business owners would rather be associated with the idea that there is a wealth of talented and funny individuals amongst the population, delivering side splitting shows every weekend for everyone’s entertainment.

Perhaps that alone is the most underrated impact of Panama City Comedy. It’s contribution to the city’s sense of identity. Comedy brings people together. It creates shared experiences. It gives residents a place to gather, laugh, and feel connected. That social connection is the real benefit that parallels (and maybe even surpasses) the economic value of high ticket sales.