Every evening on my drive home from work, I pass a fairly new Asian restaurant. The business there has certainly been less than adequate. Even at 11:30 when the noon rush should be getting started there is seldom more than a car or two at the place. Sometimes I wonder if it is just the owners car and the waiter's.

Recent attempts at drumming up business there with specials, two for one, etc. have met with rocketing unsuccess and I suspect within a month or two the place will close it's doors.

Now I don't do tableside magic and I have little desire to begin now, but I am amazed at how some who do, often promote themselves as increasing business, a marketing claim with which I have always had some problems.

I can't imagine a magician increasing business there. (BTW - the food is good so that isn't it) but I would love to know how professional restaurant magicians would attempt to do so. Other than the idea of promoting it at the local magic club or magic store (questionable value?) or having your own family reunion held there.

I'd love to have your thoughts on how it could be accomplished, or even IF it could be accomplished.

Frank,

Great question.

There are so many reasons this business could be hurting.

As for magicians promoting themselves by claiming that they can 'increase business', they better back it up.

I add that I can "increase business by keeping people from leaving the waitline."

I never claim to just 'increase business.' To me that is just a false claim. People go to restaurants, for the most part, because of the food, not entertainment.

Now as for the little Asian restaurant, it may not be possible for a magician to help.

Afterall, I'd venture to guess 99.9% of magicians go to a restaurant that already has an extablished client base.

Robert Bloor

I've only worked at 5 diffent restaurants, (there are two pairs owned by the same company), and I think the perfect restaurant to approach is one that is busy on the weekends, but has slow weekly traffic. That way, your job is to make one of their weaker nights a little busier. I agreee with Robert that the primary reason people choose certain restaurants is the food. But, if the restaurant turns that particluar night into a kids' night, then the primary reason for people coming should be YOU.

I've always believed that restaurants gigs are easy to get, but they are hard to keep.

I would say that the location of the restaurant plays a role in regards to a magician increasing their business... I used to work restaurants here in Toronto and I don't think the fact that I was doing magic increased business of the restaurant at all. On the other hand, one of my really good friends lives in a town called Peterborough which is about 2 hours outside Toronto. He performs about 2-3 nights a week at 2 different restaurants. At the current moment, The first restaurant he works at wants him to work exclusivly for them and they offered him twice the amount the other place is paying him. The reason why they made the offer is because people actually come back all the time to see him perform magic. There have also been times where people have left the place because he wasnt performing that night. So in my opinion, there are definitly a lot of factors that play when it comes to answering this question..I believe that in smaller towns, it seems to work a little better because theres less selections of restaurant?? who knows??

Everything is possible. I beleive it can be done, if done right. If I seen and knew about the area I will give you some better ideas than my following:

An ordinary magician may not increase the business, but a marketing magician will have a lot more advantages. Have a popular radio station DJ come down on a certain day. He should be live on radio announcing a talented magician is live also. When family patrons come to the restaurant that day because of the radio publicity, the magician must please the parents as well as the kids. Remember the parents are the ones who have the authority to make it there.

Start a magic club at the restaurant. The magician gives out cheap membership cards to the kids explaining they will be part of the magic club if they will get their card punched twice. It will be good to have the membership card related to "safety," if something happens to a child (a pictue with ID). The parents will love this.

Have a second magician fill in for the first every other week. That way the kids will not get bored by seeing one only. It would be good if four talented magicians would find four locations and rotate each week.

That is all I can give you for now.

I have had people bring their friends to a restaurant to see me! I don't think it happens enough to really affect the business though.

Magicians are usually better at helping with customer retention than at drawing new business, IMHO.

Magicians are seen by the public, often, as a nice idea that is unique. Families like the idea of a magician because they get a little relief from having to entertain the kids themselves at table, too!

In more business oriented venues, a magician can increase the income from the bar simply by having the people stay for one last one as well as by being an informal host, introducing people to each other, etc.

But as a primary marketing draw for new business, I have some doubts - unless the restauranteur markets directly to magic clubs and groups!

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

I am of the belief that magicians do not increase traffic unless we happen to be featured in the newspaper on a given weekend (cover story or the like) wereas the curiousity factor comes into play. Though even in such cases the extra draw will be temporary- probably just a week or two.

Conversely, musicians and bands attract additional revenue because customers can make an evening out of listening and or dancing to the music.

Think about our role as a table-hopper. We are essentially invading the privacy of tables with a roughly 5-minute performance and finished the minute food arrives.

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't visit a restaurant to watch a mere 5-minutes of entertainment. A better ploy would be to assemble a group of magicians to work in the same establishment (working in harmony similar to a band)each performer visiting tables throughout the evening. Patrons would be entertained by the sheer variety of each different performer so it would 'feel' more like an evening on the town.

A good example is strip clubs. Can you imagine watching the same stripper all evening? Notice how quickly the next dancer ussually comes on stage. Three songs and they're ussually finished. People get bored easily watching the same person regardless of how talented (or goodlooking in this case) he or she may be.

The problem with our group is that most magicians have huge egos (always want to be the center of attention)and want to command more money than a typical bandmember might take home.

If we want to be accepted into the entertainment mainstream like musicians then we would have to make changes for the better of the industry. Each large city or region could form a group- (3- 4 performers -decide on a fee< on par with bands> and began soliciting business accordingly.

I'm certain that the concept would work, but I dare anyone to step forward.

-Jared

From personal experience I know that you *can* be a draw for the restaurant, particularly when patrons are deciding where to go. That being said, this does not happen overnight. You develop a reputation (which can take years) and a core group of regulars emerges coming back again and again. Maybe not every week, but once every month or so. Enough regulars and the restaurant *can't* get rid of you!

They go for the food *and* the experience. Part of the fun is not only having a show at your table, but watching others experience the performance.

As to music in a restaurant... Unless the musicians are name groups (even locally) and the restaurant is promoted as a music venue, the tactic can backfire. When a band is playing, everyone has to listen. They can make a significant impact on the atmopsphere. If you wanted to have a quiet dinner at your favorite restaurant and you arrive to find a heavy-metal act "gig-ing" for three hours, will you stay?

As magical entertainment in a restaurant or hospitality setting, we provide personalized entertainment that makes a big impression on the guests without having a negative impact on the atmosphere. We don't perform for every table and should not even try!

As for fees, the fact that we are often providing customized entertainment in a personal way coupled with the scarcity (or one could say novelty) of our services drives what we can charge...

ajp

Sleightly- you made some very salient points and I agree with most of them. But let's face it that a restaurant has a responsibility to book the right type of band (or entertainment venue) to suit both the atmosphere and clientle of the establishment. For example, I've yet to see an AC/DC cover band play at an up-scale restuarant, but many piano players indeed.

Magicians could improve our position with the public and entertaiment dollars if we get more creative and put egos aside. Michael Close wrote a brilliant piece in the Magic Magazine a while back about this same topic. He argued that many magicians never bat an eye about stealing material or another fellow magicians gig. Let's be honest that Magic has never been a team sport compared to other forms of entertainment.

The Magic Café is helping to bridge this gap by providing a forum for which we can openly express our opinions and share feelings. Perhaps in due time we'll begin to improve as a group.

My suggestion about forming magic troupes is certainly not original, but it could offer magicians in many communities the opportunity to perform on a more regular basis and cement our marketing position in a geographical region.

-Jared

A large part of what keeps customers coming back to a particular restaurant is the "quality of experience" they had while there. This is why the best restaurants will do ANYTHING to make their customers happy... they know that it only takes an incorrectly cooked steak or a tepid bowl of soup to ruin the experience for some customers, and cause them to never return.

Conversely, it doesn't always take too take much of an effort to make the dining experience really exceptional, and gain a consistent repeat customer. That's what most places are shooting for when they consider hiring a magician: they're not expecting to pull in a bunch of new customers (although this can happen), they're trying to improve the experience of the current ones, to make them happy and keep them coming back.

A magician can improve the dining experience in at least these ways (off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are more):

- "Shorten" the initial wait for seating, by entertaining customers in the lobby. This was mentioned by RobertBloor above.

- "Shorten" the time it takes for the wait staff to take the order.

- "Shorten" the time it takes for the order to appear, once taken.

- Enhance the post-meal-sitting-around-gabbing time by spicing it up with some fun entertainment.

Another thing to consider is that the restaurant industry relies heavily on word-of-mouth advertising (because it's free!). After being treated to a magical spectacle at the restaurant, you can bet that the diners will talk about their experience at the office the next day. That's word of mouth advertising that the restaurant may not have had sans magician.

- Jason

I understand Jared's thinking on forming magic troupes, but I would suggest that it would only work in very select markets, and even then for a very limited amount of time. For this to work, you would have to do what Bill Malone does in his establishment, ensure that none of the performers duplicate repertoire. As Jared relates Close's thoughts above, too many performers *are* willing to "lift" material from those who they see as successful, which leads to a very limited repertoire being performed in a small geographic location. I have always strived to avoid material that is identifiable with another local performer. This is a personal decision, as I prefer not to be compared to anyone else.

On several occasions, I have provided a forum for "up-and-comers" to try their hand in a showcase for real people at a real locale. They were each given two approximately five-minute sets to work. Each performer was video-taped and following the conclusion of the performance we had a post-mortem where the entire group watched the tape and provided critiques of their work (using predetermined categories; choice of material, execution, appropriateness of selected material, audience management, audience response, as well as other details as blocking, flow, through-line and a bunch I can't recall right now). Interestingly enough, to a man, none have left their day job, or even picked up a part-time paid gig. I don't believe that this was because of any outward influence, rather that they realized the amount of "work" that goes into "working" and they made a personal decision to "not" work. I am glad to say though, that they all are friends and after five or six years they are all still passionate students of magic. That being said, I am all for helping others become better performers, unfortunately, and this may draw me some flack, I have found magicians to be less capable of critical development. Perhaps this is related to (lack of) training or the "blink" reaction related to self-deception in our craft, but it is there too often nonetheless. As Al Baker noted decades ago, "most magicians stop too soon."

"Open-mike nights" for magicians would be an interesting approach, but could undermine the audience that it is hoped to develop.

As Jared suggests, it is up to the venue to determine who they are and what is appropriate for their customers, but most traffic to a restaurant is not determined by the entertainment, or even the type of venue. More often the decision of where to eat is determined by essentially factors: physical location, reputation and novelty (the desire to "try someplace different"). Depending on the establishment, I would think that fully 45-50% or more of the traffic on any night consists of new guests. The goal of course is to get them to come back (or keep them if there is a long wait). The beauty of the service we provide is that it is incredibly personal, while hopefully tastefully augmenting the experience on a table-by-table basis. Knowing when *not* to perform is almost more important than performing.

As Chuck Jones related in his autobiography (and I paraphrase here), we all have 100,000 bad drawings in us, the sooner we get them out the sooner we get to the real work. I'm not sure that paid engagements are the place to be "bad;" once again, this could poison the market that you are hoping to create. At least most other professions have extensive training and opportunities to learn (and at times, fail at) their craft. Usually this occurs while they are paying for the opportunity (through tuition).

Maybe it is time to develop a more thorough approach to the development of performers... I'm not sure I am up to the task, but am interested in the possibilities...

ajp

Sleighty- I'll be brief since my beloved Red Sox lost yet another heartbreaker and It's late and I'm tired and disgusted (though I enjoyed reading your take- the only bright spot of the evening)...

I agree that an open mike night wouldn't work for the same reason that most <open mike> comedy venues don't- who the heck wants to sit through an evening of bad performances? It's almost as painful as watching a horrific Mystery Dinner Theatre performance (sorry if I offended anyone). Frankly, I'd rather get a tooth pulled.

A troupe would only work with seasoned magicians that have earned their chops in the field... And you're correct again that they cannot duplicate the same material throughout the evening (a la Bill Malone's place).

-Jared

As a restaurant magician for 11 years in the same restaurant, I must say that the main reason I am there is to bring in both repeat & new business. The restaurant is there to make money. If they can't make money from the expense of a magician, you won't stay long.

I have been there long enough to see the patterns. people come in, have a great meal in a really great place. Along comes the magician.If we can create the most fun they have ever had & add to that a great meal, they will come back. They will bring in new friends to enjoy the sam wonderful time that they experienced & those people will start the cycle again by returning with their friends.

The restaurant is there to make money. You are either part of their profit center or you are just an expense that they don't need.

Allan

I think that the people who are really successful in restaurant magic are those who can succeed without the magic. They could just walk up to a group of people and start a conversation and have them wanting to come back. Being very personable is a great asset, no matter what you do for a living.

Well said Alan.

Alan is very correct BUT that is all part of being a good entertainer as well as a good magician. After 9 consecutive years as the house magician I left a restaurant and within a month they had lost almosyt all of their family business for brunch and eventually dropped it all together. My "fans" however followed me to the next place I was working and many still come out to my shows when they know I am performing. YES, we can draw an audience/clientelle for a restaurant BUT you must be extremely good at it as well as personalble, likeable and great at PR.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat