The 50–year–old Far East restaurant on North Avenue in Grand Junction is undergoing some major changes and getting a new name.

Owner Tom Quan has teamed up with Geraldo Pezar to create the Far East Event Center, which pairs elegant Pacific Rim dining with high–end entertainment and a comedy club called "Laf".

Quan inherited the Far East restaurant from his family when they passed away. He says he has wanted to open a different type of establishment in town for a long time. When Quan met Pezar-who is a big fan of comedy- he decided the pairing, along with the growth boom the valley is having, makes now the time to put his ideas into action...

"We expect to have a high–end sort of establishment where a person can come and eat, go see a comedy act, and then come to the lounge," says Quan, who also owns a catering business in the valley.

"Laf" Comedy Club owner Geraldo Pezar says, "We are looking for some really good talent mostly from the west coast and with a lot of big acts to come."

The restaurant area will now be called the Xian Wei and feature dining upstairs and a lounge downstairs. The restaurant will also have live jazz on selected nights.

"Laf" Comedy Club opens next Friday and will feature an Idaho-based comedian and magician as its' first act.