Zanies' original club is located in Chicago's Old Town, where it was opened in a former strip club. The 100-seat club has become Chicago's oldest operating stand-up comedy venue. One of the first performers at Zanies was comedian Larry Reeb. Zanies has played an influential part in the careers of many artists, including Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr and Patti Vasquez. Additional talent includes: Craig Ferguson, Chelsea Handler, Gilbert Gottfried and Greg Proops.