I have posted some other questions about restaurant work, but not these: I have eaten in a few restaurants lately and have noticed that the tables are pretty close together. I was wondering if this would pose a problem for magicians because the tables are so close together. Like, if you are showing one table something and the table right next to them can watch as well, is that a problem or is that better for you? Also, I would think that if there isn't much room between tables, then waitresses and waiters would have a hard time getting through, to say your table you're working at or a table near by. One last thing, what if the waiter constantly wants to keep checking if the person is alright with everything, does that get in the way? or do they do that at all and respect your space? Thanks.

It is your job as the entertainer to keep out of the server's way. If you can't, ypou will not last long. You entertain, the servers make the restaurant money. Which is more important to the store?

I generally try to find the best venue possible for me. Sometimes if tables are too close together and might cause problems with me being in the way of a waiter it either means I have to work slow nights so the waiter wouldn't have any problems working around me (and the other way around), or I'd simply have to work another venue. Also if others are watching your performance at a nearby table, either try to work at a venue that wants you there on a slower night in which other tables might not be next to each other, or perform different effects for that table.

You perform for a table. If another table watches, then thats ok. If you're worried about not being able to repeat your tricks to the neighboring table, don't. Chances are, you won't perform for each and every table consecutively. Normally if you are performing for tables, you will be peforming after they have placed their order and before their food arrives. With that in mind, the wait staff will not normally be doing a lot of checking up with the table. "Is everything alright"..."No!, we don't have our food!" Get it? The idea for the restaurant is to get'em in and get'em out. You are not there to keep them there...you are there to entertain them while they wait and to possibly help influence them to come back with friends or to tell others about the experience to get them to come in. You should keep your routines somewhat short in length. That way if the food shows up while you're performing, you can quickly wrap up.

As for tables being too close, like I said before, that shouldn't be a problem with neighboring tables. However, I performed at one restaurant (Max & Erma's) where the tables were, not only, close together, but the isles were realy narrow. That made performing very, very difficult. I was difficult to the point where it wasn't even fun.

Good luck.

Scatter around do a table up top a table on the other end, your working off of tips move around if you keep to one area yeah yopuur going to be caught but maybe you can go to the tables near the table where they were watching later.

I refuse to work in restaurants like that.

Like someone else said, if you start getting in the way, then you'll not be there long.

If I can't be comfortable while performing, (which includes not feeling crowded) then I don't want to be there.

David.

If you have a walkaround job where that is the case, you need to perform for more than one table at a time. I went to an event that had 300 kids. They had just set up tables and they were so close together that I just did effects that played for 5-6 tables (Prof nightmare, rocky (spring animal), couple of card effects etc). In the restaraunt, you sometimes get large tables of 10 or more. Treat close tables the same way. You may not seek a job at a place with close tables, but sometimes you get there and need to adapt. That's all.

Justin

I want to work at gerry griffins dinner and show magic shop as a table hopper, his tables are specialy made for it

to get back to (some content in) your original question-- the waiter will not be checking back frequently because their food hasn't arrived yet. If it has, you probably should not be there.