First Restaurant Job

[WilliamMckeehan]

Hi, I tried to use the search engine but it could not find the answer I was looking for. I understand how performing at a restaurant should work and what to perform and all of that. But my question is How do you walk into a restaurant and ask for a job without having any former experience performing in restaurants. I have done a few free gigs, like a small wedding and a church event that did not have as many guests as I expected.

So do you need a promo package of some kind or any kinds of contract or should I just walk into one of the restaurants I am thinking of asking and just telling them what I am and what I can do for them, and all that? I just don't want to come off as unprofessional at all. If anyone has any tips or links or something that could help me out that would be great, Thanks!

 

[YRAMagicMan]

I've got some experience (I turn 20 in a few weeks), but I'm no expert. I got one restaurant gig by walking in, handing them a resumé and "auditioning" for the manager. After that I kept talking to them, reminding them that I still wanted the job, so to speak. Eventually I got the gig. I had no restaurant experience, but I had a couple of kids shows, a summer performing in Orlando, Fl (not with Disney) and a year of work in a theme park on my resume. Of course, what worked for me may not work for you. It all depends on you approach. I always looked professional and took myself seriously as a performer when I talked to them. Sometimes taking your art seriously is all that it takes to have others take you seriously.

 

[danielmontagne]

if you can buy david stone's book
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S12240

and try this also:
http://www.aaronfishermagic.com/thegig.htm
a lots of great advices

 

[Benji Bruce]

Here is some free info on how to get and keep restaurant gigs.... http://paidtoperform.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-book-restaurant-gigs-keep-them.html

 

[William Draven]

And failing that I've got a book in the Wire called Get Gigs, & Keep Clients which covers a bit of that too.

 

[WilliamMckeehan]

Haha! Thanks for all the info and links guys!

 

[Jacob L]

All the links here are full of great advice. I simply walked in and talked to the manager. I had a resume printed out and all that, and make sure you dress up a bit to give a more professional appeal. It helped that this particular restaurant had a magician before, so they were very willing to hire another one.

Good luck!

Jacob

 

[WilliamMckeehan]

Thanks! a Resume is probably a good idea! I suppose I should put my few little gigs I did in it?

 

[William Draven]

If you're going to do the resume thing do it right. Resume on the back of a headshot. Resume should only highlight magic related gigs, and skills.

 

[ReservoirRed]

Penguin may be out of favour around these parts, but this isn't the worst.


[video=youtube;YtR3txKsF9o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtR3txKsF9o[/video]

 

[RickEverhart]

There is a ton of great advice posted in this thread fellas. I will stand by all of it and also have the David Stone Close Up book which is OUTSTANDING.

 

[Benji Bruce]

Trust me...restaurant GM's are not interested in a resume. They are BUSY and if they ever get the time to take a look at the resume then they will glance at it.

Restaurant GM's want to see results you produce...not a resume. You're better off to offer a free night instead of giving them a resume.

I've performed in restaurants since I was 13 and not once did I need to give a GM a resume/promo kit to book the gig

 

[RickEverhart]

I do not use a resume either. I normally go the route of showing up with some friends, generating a lot of attention with some magic at our own table, which will then draw other attention of the nearby tables / waiters / waitresses and before you know it the manager may be asking you for your card.

 

[William Draven]

Trust me...restaurant GM's are not interested in a resume. They are BUSY and if they ever get the time to take a look at the resume then they will glance at it.

Restaurant GM's want to see results you produce...not a resume. You're better off to offer a free night instead of giving them a resume.

I've performed in restaurants since I was 13 and not once did I need to give a GM a resume/promo kit to book the gig

Benji I'm not taking away from what you're saying here, god only knows your qualified to dish out advice on this subject, but it's better to have and not need a resume than need and not have.

Sometimes a comparison close works for GM's and a list of other places you've worked helps validate such a closing tactic.

 

[Benji Bruce]

Benji I'm not taking away from what you're saying here, god only knows your qualified to dish out advice on this subject, but it's better to have and not need a resume than need and not have.

Sometimes a comparison close works for GM's and a list of other places you've worked helps validate such a closing tactic.

Well actually ...this is where the 80/20 principle applies (20% of your activities produce 80% of your results). All the activities you engage in are not equal. Working on a great resume isn't nearly as effective as using that time to go out and talk to a GM and perform.

Your goal in any business is to eliminate useless activities and engage in useful ones. The hard part is knowing which is which.

 

[Jacob L]

Although I'm not as qualified as Benji, Draven, and Rick, I'd still like to put my input. My "resume" wasn't like a traditional one you use for any other job. It highlighted who I was, what my purpose was, the benefit to the restaurant for having me, and then my experience (fairs, birthday parties, ect.) The manager took it to the owner later that week, and when I came back for a follow up, I was hired! So maybe the "resume" thing might have gotten taken too literally.

Quick question for the more experienced restaurant workers, do you guys perform in chained places? Like Chili's, TGI Fridays, and the like? I've been to these places and they all gave me the whole "corporate" ordeal, where they just can't go out and hire someone without approval from higher up. How do you guys get around this? I can't find many locally owned places that are a good fit for performing.

Jacob

 

[Benji Bruce]

Quick question for the more experienced restaurant workers, do you guys perform in chained places? Like Chili's, TGI Fridays, and the like? I've been to these places and they all gave me the whole "corporate" ordeal, where they just can't go out and hire someone without approval from higher up. How do you guys get around this? I can't find many locally owned places that are a good fit for performing.

Jacob

I've performed at places like Olive Garden, Applebees, and other "corporate" restaurants. The GMs have power to hire you...they just use the "corporate" part as an excuse not to. It is harder to get these gigs because they're stuck in their ways but it is possible.

You can contact corporate yourself but there is no reason to do so. If the GM really wants you at the restaurant then he will hire you...no reason to force it on them.

 

[Austin Fields]

Benji and William are talking two different strategies, so for those reading - there isn't a wrong one nor a right one, just different approaches. Here's mine-

I always look at magic from this perspective; the person you're talking to most likely hasn't seen what you do. This applies to almost everything in magic, this is why complicated routines don't work sometimes, etc etc. In the context of restaurant work, I think a hybrid of the solutions proposed would be an effective way to go. You can go in, talk to the GM and audition a few things for them, explain why it would benefit their restaurant and then hand them a short resume of the entertainment work you've done, and your experience.

This way would seem to give them a point of reference when you're talking about table hopping/restaurant magic, how it would work in their business model and then validate you in case they want a hard copy of a resume, which they are used to seeing. You want to try to make them familiar with something very unique/unfamiliar.

 

[Jacob L]

I've performed at places like Olive Garden, Applebees, and other "corporate" restaurants. The GMs have power to hire you...they just use the "corporate" part as an excuse not to. It is harder to get these gigs because they're stuck in their ways but it is possible.

You can contact corporate yourself but there is no reason to do so. If the GM really wants you at the restaurant then he will hire you...no reason to force it on them.

Gotcha, thanks for the help!

And Beans, that's a great approach. I try to go that route as well, except the managers never ask to see what I do, probably because they aren't interested and just want me out. Oh well, their loss.

Jacob

 

[WilliamMckeehan]

If you have NO restaurant or very very little "gig" experience should you just talk to the managers and explain what you do and try to get a free night to perform or something like that then? Is the experience part really big? That is why I wanted a restaurant job, To get good experience.