Iwhat do you guys feel is the most important things that a new restaurant worker would need to know to be successful?

kozmo

Rule 1:
we're not as funny, charming, good-looking, interesting, and sexy as we think we are.

rule 2: except for me

Be sincere and smile a lot.

Know your material COLD,so you can concentrate on presentation and having a good time.

Try to include in your repetoire,effects that reset automatically.

Have good pocket management.

If you perform mostly in family restaurants like me...Make the children feel like Stars..the parents/grandparents will love you for it.

Know when and when not to perform.I never perform when there is food on the table.(exception:Dessert)

Stay out of the waitstaffs way,and try to develope what I call..'Restaurant Eyes'(this will help avoid embarassing collisions).

Best.
Rich

Nice rich, anyone else...this should be an active area give me info....

koz

OJT
On The Job Training is the best teacher

Yep, it is but its better to have read a book before you do something don't ya think so if you were to write the book what would be covered?

The biggest thing that a restaurant magician needs to know is to not get in the way! The restaurant business is NOT about magic and entertainment it is about selling product (food and drink). The bottom line for the manager (and the wait staff) is pushing food and drink. That means turning tables, providing a quick and quality service.

Food and service alone will keep people coming back. A house magician is something like the decorative flowers made out of frosting on a cake. Pretty but not necessary and adds nothing of nutritional value.

The magician needs to become part of the rhythm of the place. That is they need to know what to do and what to expect. The magician must know the flow of the place and how to avoid stepping on the wait staff’s routine. Simply put, the magician doesn’t get in the way or interrupt the process but rather becomes part of the process.

As to running out of “A” material, don’t worry. You’ll find a lot of people want to see much of the same stuff you already have performed for them. In fact, some will bring a friend to see you do your (fill in the blank). For example, my sponge ball routine (which is actually done with sponge rabbits, thanks to a suggestion from Peter) is requested at least once a night by someone who has seen it before and wants to enjoy watching the reaction of someone who has not seen it yet.

Don’t forget, that you are not doing all that much. I carry three sets of three effects. This gives me dozens of combinations of effects. Build a repertoire of several sets and develop a schedule of rotation (If I take set package 1 this Monday then I will take set package 2 next Monday and 3 the next Monday and so on.) So the regular Monday customers may have to wait a month before set one is back. Then did they see group A, B, or C when they were in last? As you can see it may take a year before any given customer sees the same thing again, except by request or by chance.

If you are working a tourist spot, that is a restaurant that gets a lot of different patrons and few regulars, then the same set of tricks over and over and over again suffices!

The worry is getting the job, staying out of the way of the real function of the place (to sell food and drink), helping to give the patron an enjoyable experience, and have some fun yourself doing something you love.

Look at table-hopping magic as stand-up magic with very, very bad angles!

You need to structure each routine to end instantly when the food arrives. You never want to delay or get in the way of the wait staff (it will cost you the gig!). You want to keep it short and with high impact. You want to be able to move on and hit as many tables as possible. Don’t forget that if the restaurant is any good at all the tables will be turning over every few minutes.

You want all your tricks/routines to reset themselves in the process of doing the routine. You simply won’t have time to take a break and reset. Leave all those routines/tricks for another venue.

You don’t want any routine that uses the tabletop.

You want highly visible tricks/props. Variety of props helps increase interest.

Borrowing items and using them in the trick increases interest but it is often difficult to borrow items from sitting people, e.g., it is sometimes difficult for a guy to dig in his pockets for a coin or bill plus it slows down the flow of the trick/routine.

You want routines that are interactive with the people at the table. Don’t just have them watch you do your wonders. Play with them, ask them questions, interact, interact, and interact. One interactive (in the spectators hands) sponge ball/rabbit trick will get you remembered more than most show-off card or coin work.

You only need about three good tricks/routines to do a whole evening of table-hopping.

I would say...be sociably intelligent. A short, simple effect can be great if the table likes you. Be presentable, honest (as honest as a magician can be) and corteous.

Come on! that's it...nothing else...where are the workers....give up the good stuff

Tedb said:"Come on! that's it...nothing else...where are the workers....give up the good stuff"

tedb:As the 'Soup Nazi' on "Sienfeld" said to George,when he requested bread:"You are pushing your luck my friend".

I love that show!

Make sure the diners at the table you approach know that your service does not cost them anything. If you don't establish this early on, some diners will refuse your entertainment because they fear you are going to hit them up for cash.

If you are entertaining a table and the waiter arrives with the food, say "Abracadabra... food appear!"

If it's a slow night, entertain the staff.

If your brother and sister-in-law and twin nephews come in to eat, don't spend too long entertaining your nephews, because the restaurant owner will tell you 'You spent 20 minutes at your brother's table', even if you were only there 10 minutes.

Don't eat garlic before the gig.

I'd like to re-emphasize what Rich stated above. If there are kids, put away your "master magician ego" and do something wonderful for them. Kozmo, this hit home for me while watching the Cellini I DVD. Just watch that kid's face when Cellini vanishes the silk. He put everything he had into that effect. That says it all. Watch Kozmo's DVD of Cellini doing that 10 second trick. It provides a year long lesson in ego management and how to be sincere.

Don't get upset when the food comes or people interrupt you. So what. Move on.
Don't make anything a battle.

Start with very few tricks. Don't load up. And leave them wanting more.
If your'e a beginner and If you've been tipped $ that could mean that they want you to leave now.

Wear clean clothes. Wear deoderant. Eat mints. Are your nails clean, long, nasty?
I've seen a lot of videos with some long or nasty fingernails.

Read body language. Don't force your act on anyone. Don't try to win people over or try to turn a jerk into a fan with your fancy tricks.

As much as you love your piercings, nobody else does. Leave them at home.

If you don't want your props touched, don't put them on the table.

Borrow as little table space as possible.