Cape Girardeau comedy club permanently closes

Laughing Gas Comedy Club, 2160 William St., Suite 400, in Cape Girardeau -- which announced a hiatus in August because of staffing issues and slow sales, has now closed for good, according to owner Jeff Johnson.

"Things just didn't work out for me. On behalf of Lylah and myself, thank you. It was our honor to bring you the best stand up comedy," wrote Johnson in a Wednesday, Dec. 28, Facebook post.

The club, also known as N20 Lounge — denoting the chemical symbol for nitrous oxide, laughing gas — opened in May 2019, closed in March 2020 because of COVID and reopened 18 months later.

At the time of the hiatus, Johnson pointed out difficulties in maintaining his type of entertainment venue.

"We're in an industry where it's hard to find and maintain staff and the experience of coming to a club needs to be fantastic," said Johnson, who is a St. Louis respiratory therapist.

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