Comedy Club Owned by Hannibal Buress Evicted for Not Paying Rent

Isola Brooklyn (361 Metropolitan Ave.), a Williamsburg comedy club operated by Hannibal Buress, has unceremoniously shut down. 

And according to a city marshal’s notice left on the door, it’s been a long time coming.

A Kings County Civil Court judge ordered a warrant of eviction in September 2025. Legal filings reveal that Isola Sessions LLC currently owes $321,386.87 (the monthly rent was $31,000). The warrant was stayed upon partial payment but was executed as of December 5, 2025.

In an affidavit, Buress cited the effects of the current climate for small businesses. 

“Unfortunately, like so many other small businesses, the current rental climate in NYC nearly destroyed our business, forced extended closures and caused us to fall behind in rent. We did everything we could to survive and catch up. We made it a priority to always tried [sic] to work with Petitioner and their agents.”

It’s more than a little ironic that Isola would get evicted considering Buress caught a lot of flack years ago for revealing that he was a landlord in Chicago.  

Isola opened a little less than a year ago, taking over from the Knitting Factory, a music and comedy venue that closed in 2022. Buress used to frequently perform there, so it made sense for him to revive it as his own.

We reached out to Isola on Instagram and have not heard back. One number listed on the site was out of service, and one went straight to voicemail.

Sorry, dude. The concept of PKW (phone keys wallet) truly changed my life for the better, but you still have to PYR (pay your rent).