Quick question about working restaurants.

[YRAMagicMan]

What kinds of effects do I want to avoid? Are there certain types of tricks that don't play well with restaurant audiences? Do you ever run into people who don't want to touch your props because they're getting ready to eat? If anyone has run into any unusual problems in restaurants that I could avoid please let me know.

I've got a solid list of tricks, and I think a lot of them would work very well, but I want to know what kinds of stuff would be bad in restaurants. (Aside from the obvious like gory stuff, or tricks that involve large flying objects.) The reason I ask the question like that is because I want to avoid creating an "act" based entirely on what you guys say works. Not that it would be a bad thing, I just feel like it would end up being rather unoriginal.

The timing of this is ironic. I just got booked for a restaurant gig, and Benji just made a post about how to make money doing restaurants.

 

[Justin.Morris]

I used sets of effects that have no resets, or that finish reset. Then I would mix in some effects that need a setup,and I would prepare a few beforehand. All of them nearly angle proof.

Avoid things the have to do with your mouth (ie. card to mouth, french kiss).
I am fan of doing magic in people's hands personally, and the restaurant I worked in had lots of small two person tables. Generally I liked to stay off their space. Imagine if you were having dinner with someone and a guy came up and intruded on your space. Basically you want to minimize that apprehensive feeling, and the best way is to be humble, polite, and responsive to their body language. For instance, if they hesitate at your introduction, and seem to say yes out of politeness, then perhaps just do one, maybe two tricks, thank them and move on.

If you do magic with their money, they are likely to tip you with it. I have heard to avoid making money multiply or appear, as you give the impression the you don't need the tip.

Just some of my random thoughts. Have a great time! And write down some notes after the show to help you remember for the next gig.

 

[RickEverhart]

I'm sort of like Justin on this one. Avoid putting things in your mouth like card to mouth, avoid touching their cups, silverware (fork bending) unless you are going to go get them another one to replace it. As mentioned, try to stay out of their personal bubble..don't get too close...ha ha.

I ONLY typically use effects that reset instantaneously so that they are ready to roll at the next table without me walking to a corner to use a bang ring on a scotch and soda.

I always use my business card in one of the effects so that they are left with my contact info. This is HUGE and imperative!

 

[ReservoirRed]

The the point that justin made about cards to mouth is very valid, not just for audience comfort, but for the hygiene aspect. I used to work as a chef, and the scrutiny that goes into making sure everything in a restaurant is completely sanitised and safe is incredible, at least in the establishments that have enough pride in their business to uphold the strict health board standards. If a manager sees a magician taking a card out of his mouth, or taking off his shoe and removing a card from it only to then hand it to a customer, 9 times out of 10 that magician will be out of work.

 

[Benji Bruce]

You should avoid tricks that use a lot of table space. You mainly want tricks that have an easy to no reset time period and something you can finish quick if you have to. If the waiter comes over with food than you want to wrap it up. So if you're doing an ambitious card routine in the card pops up 10 times then you should obviously skip to the ending.

I don't understand what you mean when you say you will become unoriginal because more often than not the people have never seen a magician in their life before. Other magicians may think it's unoriginal but they're not the ones paying you.

When you're performing in a restaurant don't think about creating an act. You only create knack for stage performance and in a restaurant you're giving demonstrations because you don't know when you're going to be interrupted. With an act, you have to finish everything. With the demonstrations, you can stop at any moment. Imagine David Blaine style of doing one trick after another rather than David Copperfield style of weaving a story throughout the entire performance. It is better to do the David Blaine style of tricks rather than creating an act.

For restaurants, all you need are three good tricks.

 

[ReservoirRed]

Benji never fails to give good advice. But on one of his points i think there's more to it. 3 tricks will get you far, but the goal in the long term is to be the house magician, and be asked back frequently, this will help you meet potential clients. Depending on how large the city or town you live in is, and how popular the restaurant is, you will eventually get repeat customers, the regulars. Now if you're good, you might not get caught out the first time a regular comes back in and you have to perform for them, because if you impressed them the first time, they will more than likely ask to see "that one thing you did with the coin/cards/business card". Ideally you'd a avoid them that night until you have something new to show them. Once a trick, twice a lesson, and if you do the same tricks twice they'll be reluctant with your magic from then on.