A Retail Background
ATL House of Comedy has become a staple platform for established and upcoming comedians in Atlanta. Maurice Sims started building his platform back in 2003 when only he could see the vision of what was to come.
Sims is originally from Selma, Alabama but moved to Atlanta in 1993. He spent six months living with an uncle before moving on his own in the Cascade area where his rent was only $425 a month. At that time, he was working in retail starting at Footlocker, and was enrolled in college for criminal justice for three years. Sims eventually gave up “with pride” because he was only going to school because his close friends were.
“I was really that simple,” said Sims. “I didn’t have a life plan.”
While working at Footlocker he met and sold shoes to tons of celebrities including Destiny’s Child, Monica, TLC, Usher, L.A. Reed, Suge Knight, Elton John, and Aaliyah. He became a manager and learned people spent money at specific times of the month, a lesson he later applied to running his comedy shows.
The burnout was real for Sims so he transitioned to working at U-Hual. He thought the new job would allow him to have a better schedule but here he was again overworked and underpaid. Unhappy with his job, he prayed to God at a nightclub, asking for guidance on what he should do with his life. Through prayer, he got the idea that one day he was going to become a comedy show promoter. With no experience and mentors, Sims took the thought and ran with it.
“That’s how God speaks to you. He speaks to you through thoughts, ideas, and intuition,” said Sims.
While still working at U-Hual, Sims was trying to figure out how he would make money off of his idea. Sims said Atlanta’s comedy scene was segregated back then and he wanted to find a way to unite the comedians and the audiences. He started as a street promoter for PHAT Comedy, a local comedy show. He saw some of the gaps PHAT Comedy was facing and tried to host his own comedy show not in Atlanta but in his hometown of Selma, Alabama.
Sims asked his father and his friend Chris Hill for $3,000 to do his comedy show but they both said no. Luckily, he received a $1,000 bonus from U-Hual which he used as start-up money for his first show in 2003. He put down a $250 deposit at Walton Theater Selma: Movie Theater and had to pay the other $250 once the show was over. He ended up finding a comedian in Atlanta to headline his show and he asked that comedian to bring another comedian with him. Sims admits that the second guy wasn’t funny and only 20 people came to the show with tickets being $15.
His first show made no profit. He had to pay the comedians and hotel. Sims, unable to afford a way out, borrowed money from his then-girlfriend. He gave her $100 out of every paycheck until his debt was paid off.
“I lost $1,000 trying to give back to my hometown,” said Sims.
After a few times of trying to host a show in Selma, Sims’s friend Hill suggested that he host a comedy show in Atlanta. Sims was hesitant at first but took a chance on himself.
Finding Kat’s Cafe
By this time it was 2006 and he needed to find a spot in Atlanta to host his stand-up comedy shows. Sims hopped on Myspace and discovered the lounge Kat’s Café which had only been open for three months. He sent the owner Katarina Mia a message pitching his idea to host weekly comedy shows, and to his surprise, she had already been thinking of ways to elevate her brand. Mia gave him the yes but with no budget.
Sims then went to his friend Brittany Innes and asked her for $150 to make 5,000 fliers. He accidentally put the wrong address, but by 9:15 p.m., the venue was packed with Black comedians and eager patrons. Kat’s Café gave Sims the hardest day to host a show, which was Monday, but he made it work. Within two years, he moved his shows to Tuesdays, which is still happening to this day.
“Over the 18 years, so many people tried to get us from Kat’s. I’m not leaving here,” said Sims. “She gave me my first shot. This led to everything else.”
As the years went on, Sims learned to ask venues for a budget to pay the host, headliner, and features. He saw his value and found ways to capitalize off of it.
Through his hard work, many celebrities have come to ATL House of Comedy shows including Debbie Allen, T.I., Janelle Monáe, Deon Cole, Ari Lennox, and Sherri Shepherd.
“I unknowingly did all of this. I blindly did all of these things. You have to be passionate,” said Sims. “I believed I would do it better than anyone else.”
It should be noted that before comedian Karlous Miller, from the South 85 Show, became the comedian he is, worked shows at local comedy spots. Sims saw Miller once and knew he would be a star one day, so he asked Miller if he wanted to work with him. Miller said yes and little did Sims know, this would be the start of something great.
ATL House of Comedy currently has weekly shows at Kat’s Café, The Monticello, Clutch Restaurant, and Suite Food Lounge. Sims also hosts a New Year’s Eve party in Atlanta.
“Always chase your dreams, never stop,” said Sims. “It’s never too late.”
Meet A Comedian
ATL House of Comedy makes space for all comedians no matter their experience, race, or sex. Up-and-coming comedian Lauren Sims started her comedy journey on January 16, 2024, and she’s already booking shows across the country. She did a few minutes of stand-up comedy at The Monticello during one of ATL House of Comedy’s weekly shows and she had the entire room laughing.
Lauren, who is not related to Sims, is thankful for platforms like his.
“The Atlanta comedy scene has embraced me,” said Lauren. “…God has totally made a way for me every single time.”
Lauren’s comedy career started because she wanted to make a podcast or YouTube show with her mother and sister. Lauren’s mother did stand-up comedy before having kids, and Lauren thought it would be amazing to capture her family’s funniness on camera but they didn’t really catch on to the idea. Instead of giving up, she decided to pivot and step out on her own.
As a performance artist, host, and writer, she used her background to help her on her new journey. She also received help from a local comedian who showed her the formula for a good joke.
“It’s not always about the joke, it’s about the message,” she said.
She’s learned from acting that it’s about tapping into the moment and people’s emotions. She said each comedic style is dependent on the comedian’s goals.
“I’m praying that comedy takes me to my highest heights [and] to connect with people and heal people and to create experiences that are so memorable that it shifts and changes the lives of others,” said Lauren.
ATL House of Comedy exists so comedians like Lauren can thrive in their careers.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
