TV Restaurants

Is Stress Factory Comedy Club Still Open? Restaurant Stakeout Update

Restaurant Stakeout, Season 5 New Brunswick, New Jersey

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, Stress Factory Comedy Club is listed open on Yelp, reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

What the source shows: Yelp's business page for Stress Factory Comedy Club was updated in July 2026 with continuing reviews, and the club's own website currently lists an active weekly show and dining schedule. How we decide a status →

About this show's format: Described as staged/scripted by Wikipedia's article, citing a 2012 realityblurred.com report. Surface this note on every record.

What happened after Restaurant Stakeout?

"Restaurant Stakeout" season 5's "Standup Stakeout" (episode 11, aired August 20, 2014) departed from the show's usual restaurant setting to feature the Stress Factory, a comedy club in New Brunswick, New Jersey that also serves food. Food Network's episode description identifies the owner as Vinnie, describes the club as a 20-year-old institution at the time of filming, and frames the episode around Degel's effort to shore up the business's food-and-beverage side since Vinnie had no backup plan if the venue could not be made more profitable. Wikipedia's article on the show notes that a 2012 realityblurred.com report found the program's stakeouts and confrontations to be staged and scripted rather than spontaneous.

As in other episodes, Degel's method is to plant hidden cameras to observe the floor and staff, then confront ownership with the footage and prescribe operational changes before declaring the venue fixed. Current sources show the club still operating at its Church Street address under owner Vinnie Brand: its official website, stressfactory.com, lists an active weekly performance and dining schedule, and a Yelp business page for the Stress Factory Comedy Club was updated in July 2026, reflecting continued reviews and activity consistent with its long-running status as a New Brunswick institution.

The episode Restaurant Stakeout, Season 5

Episode 11
Aired
Title: Standup Stakeout · What was featured: 20-year-old comedy club needing help with its dining side

Also in Season 5 Restaurant Stakeout

Season 5: 7 of 13 still open

All 13 Season 5 episodes →

Nearest restaurants By distance from 90 Church St

All 148 TV restaurants in New Jersey →

Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 4 references

  1. foodnetwork.com https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/restaurant-stakeout
  2. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant_Stakeout
  3. stressfactory.com https://www.stressfactory.com
  4. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/stress-factory-comedy-club-new-brunswick
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Record rs-056 · checked by Cal Marchetti.