Hello all!
I am piecing together some of my old effects to perform at a local restaurant. I have not pitched to the owner yet but am pretty sure he'll jump at the chance to have me help improve his business. I'm mostly looking for critique on my effects, If you think its to many or not enough.

Scotch n' Soda
Hopping Halves
"modified" color monte
NFW
Thought Transmitter
pick a card routine
Equal Unequal ropes
Small Chop Cup
Doc Easons Nuts and Bolts
Last round up

Maybe's
-Ring on string
-Sponge Balls
-Mogar Color Changing knives

Wishing you the best of luck in pursuing this venue.
As far as effects go, your list is fine, however do not "perform" for the owner, rather ask him to observe your interaction with a sample table (it doesn't hurt if some family or friends just happen to to dining there when you meet with the owner, "hint-hint") If you perform for strangers during your audition, I would recommend you perform your equal/unequal ropes, sponge balls or sponge rabbits, and finish with the mini chop cup. (If you have a killer final load as your ending)
You want him to see big reactions, laughter and applause. Also remember, just having a magician performing strolling is not going to increase his business, you are an "ambassador" for his establishment. When the kitchen is backed up with too many orders, you make the waiting time "disappear". You help to create an enjoyable experience, smoothing out the rough edges.
Sell him on that, show him how people will leave with big smiles on their faces and you will have yourself a steady gig!

The quantity you have is fine. As long as the quality is there, you should have no problems. Just be sure you know them inside and out and make them entertaining.

You will probably not improve his business. Just as a marble entry way does not improve a business. It only adds to the over all atmosphere and dining experience.

BREAK A THREAD!

I know I will not directly improve his business, but my mind set is that many people I know including my self have eatten their and have had very long waits for our meals if its even moderately busy. I figure I will be able to help pass the time so that people don't walk out.

Just to clarify a little more. It is a Local restaurant nothing to fancy about $10 per plate. I have eaten there many times with my family and the average wait if there are 5 or more tables filled is 45 from order to food. I believe that they run only one person in the kitchen so when it starts picking up the kitchen falls way behind. The past two times I have been there I have noticed three tabled walk out. So I have been working on my old routines and figured that this could be mutually beneficial I could help prevent walk outs and get some more recent experience(It's been about 6 years since I performed last).

The owner must be aware of the lost business. It would seem that if he/she is not willing to pay for more kitchen staff to make more money, then there may not be a big budget for entertainment..

I know that there are at least two schools of thought regarding this, but if I wanted the gig, I would offer a free, no strings hour, to show what could be achieved.

Good luck
Charlie

That's what I was planning on a busier night like a Saturday. I was also thinking of "rigging" the night and having a bunch of family and friends show up.

Have you decided how you're going to segue smoothly from on effect to the next?
From what I see it looks like it may not be too easy to make up a couple of sets of 2 or 3 effects from your selected effects.
Best wishes.

That is actually my hardest point, so far its just 3 separate effects with little to no segue.

You are the segue. Jus tknow thatyou might have to run shorter or onger than you paln at any table due to food service.

The owner will see right through this if his seatings go back to normal after you rigged the night. Don't try to mislead the owner. Bad business.

I would just offer to do an hour or two for free with the regular crowd, and see how it works out for him and you.

If it works, it works. If not, no damage done.

Sammy

Riggin is not the way to go. Your friends will over act and kill your chances of success. Go in with a regular crowd then kill em with magic. That's how you land the gig.

I'm going to politely disagree about not improving his business. From experience, I would say it is indeed possible.

I was hired by a small independant restaurant to work on their slowest night, which was a Monday. It certainly helps that the owner walks around and introduces himself to people as they eat and spreads the word about the entertainment on Monday nights. Since starting their, he has expressed several times that Monday nights have improved significantly since I started working and are nearly as good as any other night of the week now. On any given Monday, he is aware of several groups that will come in specifically to see the magic.

So don't sell yourself short. You CAN have a measureable impact on his business. (In fact, he has also stated that his servers tips have improved significantly also!)

Mike

OK I have been practicing a ton, and working all the kinks out. Here's my final list of effects for the time being

Impossible Opener
Color change Deck
NFW
Color Monte
Sponge Rabbits
Mini Chop Cup (still looking for great final load, I use a large orange ball right now)
Professors Nightmare
Nuts and Bolts
Scotch and Soda
Un-gimmicked Hopping halves
Last Round UP
* Also have balloons to twist for some kids
Works in Progress
Pocket size linking ring routine
Mogar Color Changing knives

I'm going to try and go in and talk to the owner of the local restaurant/bar this week.

Good luck

So what was the outcome?

It's me Brownie( I had an old log in, and finally remembered the password) soon Brownie will be deleted. I am starting the process today by calling the restaurant. I have been psyching myself out and supper practicing. Basically I have been nervous and over thinking it all. Today is it I'm going to get the ball rolling. One side question do you think its better to have 4 sets of 3 effects or 3 sets of 4 effects for Hopping, Or would it be best to have 3 sets of 3 with 3 extra effects for encore?

I don't think it matters - have confidence that you've put in the work. You'll soon find out what works best.

Good luck

Charlie

Fallowing Christopher Lyle's article, I am now on to step 3 The pitch, I have had dinner and lunch at the restaurant and have called and spoke with the owner. Now time to stop by and talk with him, thinking Monday Afternoon for the pitch.

Just a couple of suggestions that might help.

a nice big red strawberry is a great final load for the mini-cup.

also, I got the metal 3 dvd... and eric jones has a trick where he has 3 little balls of flash paper that he uses to produce his coins. so maybe for your hopping halves routine, have both coins palmed, and produce them by burning the flash paper. even though it's not that impressive from a magician's stand point... people love that flash paper. and even though the paper is kinda expensive... you only need a little bit. you rip off a piece, crumple most of it into a ball, and then twist a bit of it to make a wick. you get the spectator to light the lighter, you light the wick, then throw the ball into your other hand that you turn up with a coin in finger palm. then light the other piece of paper to produce the other coin. just an idea to give your act that extra bit of flare.

I don't know anything about you but...

I could care less what your effects are.
I would only care what you're like as a person and an entertainer.
Giving us a list of effects make me think you're mindset is not quite right.
Why? Because it makes it seem like you think the tricks are what matters.

The tricks have nothing to do with it.
You do the ones you love the best. Those are the tricks you do. Done!

The important thing is that you're entertaining and you have great self-awareness.
Most magicians do NOT have great self-awareness. They think the magic business is all about tricks, or even worse... and all about them.

Self-awareness means knowing when when to perform, not perform, stop, leave, shut up, talk, talk quietly, talk louder, not embarrass the GM, knowing when a trick is going on too long,
knowing how to not **** off the wait staff, not take the tips meant for the help, not walk around like you own the place, realizing when you're being obnoxious, etc....

That's what I'm more interested in hearing about.
I want to make sure you're not embarrassing me as a fellow magician.

I'm kinda tired of magic getting mocked and ridiculed because magicians have absolutely no self-awareness and feel they are entitled to perform just because they learned the secret to a bunch of tricks off penquin.

Given that...
What do you offer besides a list of tricks? I AM interested in that