Now that's the first question that should have been addressed.

Once he's "been there, done that" he won't need to ask the initial question.

So true.

You could use this response to answer so many questions!!

Make that "she", please & thank you.

No, Danny, sorry that wasn't clear. There's been no magic by anyone in restaurants here in town, EVER, far as I know. So this would be new and very different. Which might be a good selling point to one of the newer places, I think.

If you can actually pull it off yes.

It is not about only knowing the tricks as David points out.

The setting where I have a black jack size table is at a brewery (Lagunitas). It's not in the restaurant, but just outside in the hallway (lounge type area) along with a few high top tables and couches. It's a great spot that looks out over the brewery and does not "eat up" the money generating tables. Space is not really an issue in this 300,000 square foot facility. After the football season is over, I'll be there three days week.

I think with the boom of craft beers, that these brewery's are a good fit for magic. Obviously, you have to find a brewery that wants to create an experience and memories for its guests.

Thanks for sharing that. A new area to keep an eye out for when scouting venues.

What works for some may not work for others.

In my years of performing restaurants, I have been the official after dinner entertainment, doing three 45-minute shows per night for groups of 12-20. I have done table-hopping between ordering and food delivery, and between main course and dessert, both seated and standing. I have had a space in a corner. I have had a table or portable table, and I have worked purely out of my pockets. I have been paid by the restaurant with instruction not to accept tips, and I have been paid by the restaurant and encouraged to accept tips additionally. (I have never worked solely for tips, but that was based on my decision, not for lack of opportunities.) I've worked places where there was other entertainment (live bands, lots of TVs, etc) and places where I was the sole entertainment.

What I won't say is that you always must do it a certain way. Just because you can't do something at every place doesn't mean you should never do it at any place. I WILL say I think it is a mistake to dismiss something out of hand, especially when it comes from someone who has decades in the trenches. You may not end up implementing the advice, but it certainly bears consideration. I will also say that, just because someone is new doesn't mean they don't have something valuable to offer. People dismiss ideas too quickly around here these days, it seems to me. Which is the primary reason I rarely post anymore.

As to the original question: No, we're not seeing the end of restaurant magic. A few years ago, people were dismissing stage magic--it's still going strong. People said you could never use a TT, or linking rings, or a DL, because everybody knows about them form YouTube, etc, and you won't fool anyone with them. I think you'll find many working pros still using all of those things to amaze and entertain.

Further, even if a certain type of magic has peaked and is declining, say, in Vegas, in no way means it can't be extremely successful in Boise, or Des Moines, or Poughkeepsie. And even if another restaurant has a magician, it doesn't have YOU. Stop selling "magic" and start selling YOU. In a way that accommodates the client and meets their needs an/or desires. I don't want a restaurant or other potential client to say, "We want a magician," I want 'em sayingg, "GET ME THAT GUINN GUY!"

My unsolicited two cents. Off my soapbox. Signing off.

I think performing in bars and restaurants is alive and well, still. I've worked for years (20-30 years ago) in bars 2-3 nights a week, at the same places between 6 and 10 years each. That led me to doing trade shows (about 15 per year) for many years. All of my venues had a bar attached to the restaurant and typically, I spent the vast majority of my time in the bar/lounge area. The only time I went into the restaurant area was by request. Many of the servers would mention that there was a magician that night and would be happy to send them to the table for a few minutes if they would like. This really worked for me. I was only in the restaurant area "by request" and never disturbed anyone who wanted privacy.

To me, the bar areas were perfect. I had many, many regulars that came in for years. They knew the patter lines as well as I did for many tricks. To those people I was acting more as a professional host than as a magician. They'd usually get one new trick a week, but they thrived off of knowing what was coming for the people they brought with them or who were sitting down the bar.

I'm far from the world's greatest close-up magician, but, I always found it extremely easy to find work. I'd sit at the bar on a slowish night, strike up a conversation with the bartender, do a couple of quick tricks... soon a waitress would watch and then I'd be the talk of the place pretty quickly. From there, it was easy. Find out who the manager is, stop in again to see him using the name of the bartender and the wait staff and it was just a matter of what night I'd be working... for the most part.

I'm nearly 60 now, but after many years of laying off magic, I've gotten the itch again. I've been practicing for about 3 months now and decided to try out the old technique (except now I bring my wife with me)... still works like a charm. Went into 2 fairly upscale restaurant/bars and came out with 1 offer for one and the staff giving me all of the information about the manager on the second. I'll be starting 1 night a week after the New Year and that's really all I have in me at this point... it just makes me more motivated to practice when I know I have an audience.

I've found that for bars/restaurants its much more about personality then it is about the magic. Your magic should be good... but without a pleasant personality and a mindset of being a professional host for the establishment, your run could be very short.

Sadly I'm one of the only restaurant magicians that I know of here in KC

Words of WISDOM

Advice needed, I am a children's entertainer that would love to do close up, I jumped in at the depend last night, as I took an Indian restaurant valentines evening, the owner wanted me to do balloons as well, all adults and all eating about the same time, when they finished eating they wanted to chat to each other, this gig was 2 hrs as well, longest 2 hrs I've ever done,

Wally, I'm not sure I understand your question. Do you want advice on what close up magic works for adults? Do you already know some close up but do mostly balloons?

I think you might be asking how to "get noticed" or how to "break into" a table... how about:

"Hi folks, I apologize for interrupting... My name is Joe, I'm the magician here, would you care to see one quick trick; quick and amazing as you continue on your evening?"

Besides reading thread here in the Café, get Kozmo’s “Live at th Jailhouse” dvd art. Great information from a variety of restaurant workers on everything from planning routines, to approaching table,to handling various situations:

http://www.kozmomagic.com/product/live-a......t-magic/

"Live at the Jailhouse" Is available for free if you're a Reel Magic ON Demand Subscriber @ www.reelmagicmagazine.com

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