Hart, that's a good rule in general, but let's examine something.

The entire table is adults, with only one child. You do your ACR, your favorite bill effect, and a coin through table. . . the kid of course is too young to understand anything that just happened. Are you going to do an entire 3 phase routine just for the kid? or are you going to "produce" a giveaway item for him and move on to the rest of the restaurant?

Secondly, give-aways are part of branding. If you want people to remember you, you need to give them something they'll keep. Not everyone keeps business cards, not everyone will remember what restaurant they saw you in, but one rule is true (even at McDonalds)

KIDS KEEP TOYS.

You bring up some good points...

I guess if the kid is YOUNG a giveaway would become the "magic" because he/she cant understand the magic you are performing. This would make a giveaway an exception, not a rule.

Please understand that I am not against giveaways, I just feel they should be for special occasions, not something that is expected. For example: I will make a napkin rose for a woman on her birthday, anniversary, etc. But if every other woman in the restaurant had a rose would it feel as "special"?

Another great giveaway with advertising potential is those bag clips for potatoes chips bag for instance.

I'm one of those accursed restaurant balloon animal guys...yes, I confess. Frankly, I can't think of a better obligatory premium for table-hopping magi to give away nightly.

In my case, it isn't the balloon sculpture as much as it is the zany humor that goes into constructing it. One family has been coming in to my favorite restaurant at least twice a month for the last five years. The daughter, now eight, always asks for a pink 160 poodle. Not because she loves the poodle - but because she loves watching me struggle to come up with new humor bits and lines as I labor to construct the little rubbery bugger. Thanks to her, I have a polished 30-minute comedy act focused on the silly balloon poodle.

As Silly Billy says so often, "It's the ride, not the destination, that's important." The poodle, the giant bill and the Stop Light cards are all keepsakes of the journey.

Whatever you give and however you give it, make it a genuine keepsake of a truly remarkable and memorable journey. Do that and you can't lose.

Ok Skip,

You have had this restaurant for 5 years. I have had mine for 5 months, and although I have a large repertoire of close-up magic, I realize I am going to have to expand on my repertoire in time to keep the magic "new" to the repeat customers. Do you constantly find your self learning new material to keep the customers coming back?

Tommy

To answer that, Tommy, I have to briefly explain my philosophy on entertaining. I prefer to do business with people who go out of their way to make a personal connection with me. My personal supermarket, dry cleaner, mechanic, magic shop, barber...every one I do business with shares this one trait - they each go out of their way to make me feel important. I have incorporated this philosophy into every show I do...whether it's for one lone child or a filled-to-capacity comedy club.

It's this personal connection with my restaurant guests that keeps them coming back...not the magic or the balloons or the gifts.

For example, I have one boy who has been coming in since he was six. He is now nine years old. At the age of six he was determined to be the next David Copperfield - so I did everything I could to encourage him. At nine, he's decided that he wants to be the next Jeff Dunham - and last night he brought in his new vent dummy to show me his routine. We shared some tips, he listened to my advice, we all laughed out loud and the family (as well as the guests at surrounding tables) all think I walk on water. They don't think this because I did some new super dooper magic fooler. They think this because I made a memorable and personal connection with this family.

In the beginning, I used to try to learn at least one new close-up effect each week. But, I rarely ever got around to doing them...because the kids (and many adults) always asked to see my signature pieces over and over...Sponge Rabbits, Sponge Bananas, ball & coin manipulations, Ninja Rings, Loose Ends, Prof. Nightmare, 3-Card Monte, 8-Card Brainwave, Shell Game, Coin Matrix, Color Changing Silk, Chop Cup and Cups & Balls. I carry three effects with me each night (plus a couple extra in my backup bag for those special nights) so the signature effects change from week to week. I also make simple balloon sculptures at each table - again, it isn't the balloon as much as the routine and humor that goes into making it. A balloon poodle alone is a 5-minute laugh-filled comedy bit.

And that's important: it isn't the effect they want to see as much as the presentation and humor behind the effect. Every one of my signature effects creates a personal connection with the spectator. They actively experience the magic...but they also experience my absolute devotion to them personally. The magic is literally a by-product as we bond through laughter.

I still watch for new effects and routines that fit my personality and I mix them in with the signature stuff. But, I'd have to say that it's that close personal connection that keeps our guests coming back week after week and year after year.

Besides having the best price I have found for fortune telling fish, "SuperCoolStuff.com" has loads of other inexpensive trinkets and novelty items. Check these out:
http://supercoolstuff.com/items/puzzle/pzs460.htm
http://supercoolstuff.com/items/puzzle/pzs526.htm
Don

Personalized ink pens.

Don:
http://supercoolstuff.com/items/budget/nvs286.htm President Coins
http://supercoolstuff.com/items/budget/nvs1037.htm Pirate Tattoos.

Great site!

In my opinion best is (I don't know the exact name): Pencil with a loop of string at one end - and you attach it to the hole of the button of the spectators jacket - everyody of us know this effect/puzzle.
Of course printed on the pencil is my name and contact - adress!

Angelo

I like to used the 6mm white pears beads to make a litte dog with the women love them you got to thing about the moms two also you can teach the kids jumping bands
hope this a little

Give aways?

Adults: Pygmy Paddles by Paul Green

Kids: Pearl Poodles or Elephants.

Where are the Pearl Elephants instructions published?

I do a comedy routine where "loaves" are turned into "fishes." In the end, everyone receives a fortune telling fish. It has played well, and the audience loves the souvenir fish. Best of all, the fish are really cheap.

I work out coupons with the restaurant and give away stuff like free drinks and discounts on their next visit. Great publicity for the restaurant and you put your info on it so it is a business card they won't wanna toss in the garbage!

I give away the Curved Illusion. Both kids and adults love them.

I seen a guy that gave out his business card it was made into some magic trick ,there are a lot of cool business out there people just love to keep.

I give a way lots of stuff at gigs. Kierons lolli production is always good if there are kids Steve rowe has a really nice chocolate production. You pull a ferrero rocher out of a scratch card and they keep it. I do brian platts sugar rush. They keep a hersheys minature. ((lool giving out candy hahaha)) Um I do lubors lens with a pen. Give that away at the end. Nice souvenir, a twisted pen that writes. I do some other stuff of my own that I can't speak about right now haha. Other than that there are just a ton of different impossible objects etc..that you can give a way.