<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2THvwG_18Xx96Do00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2THvwG_18Xx96Do00" width="1000" height="667" ><figcaption>Ben Roy headlines the Tailwhip Comedy Show at CordaRoy’s in Gainesville, Fla., Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Photo by Corey Fiske | The Independent Florida Alligator</figcaption></figure>Behind rows of oversized loungers and foam-filled furniture, a curtain opens into a small performance space lit by lanterns and multicolored string lights. A cello, potted plants and a spotlighted wooden stool sit on stage. In front, a “VIP” section is marked not by velvet ropes but by a cluster of oversized beanbag chairs.The hidden venue sits inside CordaRoy’s right off of Southwest 34th Street and West University Avenue, a beanbag store that doubles as a monthly pop-up comedy club.The tucked-away room filled with nearly 100 people Jan. 30 for a Tailwhip Comedy showcase produced by 32-year-old local comedian Allie Bubanas, who performs under the name Allie O. The pop-up show — held in the store since last summer — featured touring headliner Ben Roy alongside Daisy Tackett, Bubanas and her husband, Scott Bubanas, blending nationally traveled talent with Florida-grown voices in an unconventional venue.Allie didn’t start her career under stage lights. Before launching Tailwhip Comedy in 2022, she spent more than seven years as a nurse in the pediatric cardiac ICU at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.After the COVID-19 pandemic, she felt burnt out and ready to move on to a new venture, she said.Comedy had long been a quiet constant of her life; Allie grew up writing jokes and stories with her dad. After he died in 2024, performing took on new urgency.“That kind of was the catalyst,” she said. “He passed away young, and I really wanted to grab life by the horns.”Allie began performing more regularly and eventually moved into producing, creating shows that mix local comics with touring performers in intimate spaces. She discovered CordaRoy’s while cold-calling businesses in search of pop-up venues and said she was surprised to find a ready-made stage tucked behind the showroom floor.Now, the monthly event draws a wide range of attendees. While Gainesville is often associated with college crowds, Allie said audiences at the show tend to be a mix of young professionals, longtime residents and visitors from surrounding cities.“I have to kind of adjust on the fly,” she said about performing for varied rooms. Comedian Ben Roy, 46, first came to Gainesville through the city’s music scene. Based in Denver, he has been visiting for about eight years, regularly performing during The Fest music festival before connecting with local comics.Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inboxHe said smaller, unconventional venues like the CordaRoy’s show offer a different energy than traditional comedy clubs.Much of Roy’s set focused on stories about fatherhood and everyday life, material he said helps bridge differences in mixed audiences.“I think we’re at such a divisive time,” he said. “Anything that makes everybody feel like they can relate — those are really important right now.”Tackett, a 30-year-old Jacksonville-based comic, began performing eight years ago while she was in college. She first turned to stand-up as an outlet while participating in group therapy for sexual assault survivors, where she was encouraged to channel her humor into performance.After graduating and returning to Jacksonville, she helped build her local scene by producing shows and open mics, working to create more opportunities for comics in a market with fewer established venues.Her material often draws from personal experience, pushing audiences into brief discomfort before landing on widely relatable observations.“I really like making people really uncomfortable about it,” Tackett said. “The release at the end of the joke when everyone’s laughing."Audience members filed out through the showroom at the end of the night, leaving the space to return to its regular role as a retail store until the next show.Contact Aaliyah Evertz at aevertz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @aaliyahevertz1.Support your local paperThe Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today. Aaliyah EvertzAaliyah is a second-year journalism student in her second semester at the Alligator. She is the Avenue's spring 2026 entertainment reporter. In her free time, she enjoys reading and baking.</div></body>

Gainesville Beanbag Store Transforms into Monthly Pop-Up Comedy Venue

A beanbag store in Gainesville, CordaRoy's, has transformed into a monthly pop-up comedy venue. On January 30, the store hosted a Tailwhip Comedy showcase featuring both touring and local comedians. The event, organized by 32-year-old local comedian Allie Bubanas, known professionally as Allie O, drew nearly 100 attendees. Bubanas, who previously worked as a nurse, launched Tailwhip Comedy in 2022 after feeling burnt out from her medical career. The venue, which combines oversized beanbag chairs with a small stage, offers an unconventional setting that attracts a diverse audience including young professionals and longtime residents. The shows aim to blend national talent with local voices, fostering a unique and inclusive atmosphere.

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Behind rows of oversized loungers and foam-filled furniture, a curtain opens into a small performance space lit by lanterns and multicolored string lights. A cello, potted plants and a spotlighted wooden stool sit on stage. In front, a “VIP” section is marked not by velvet ropes but by a cluster of oversized beanbag chairs.

Gainesville beanbag store transforms into pop-up comedy venue

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Behind rows of oversized loungers and foam-filled furniture, a curtain opens into a small performance space lit by lanterns and multicolored string lights.

Gainesville beanbag store transforms into pop-up comedy venue

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