I would like to see what kind of Restaurant Magician population we have. Restaurant Magic is my specialty and have been doing it for a while. It is a very interesting and more difficult genre of magic but has many advantages.
So who has done any Restaurant Magic?
I perform at some very fancy restaurants.

I've been a restaurant magician for about ten months now and I have only worked at one restaurant so far. I only perform for about two hours one night a week. I have learned a great deal about presentation and restaurant guests who do and don't look like they would enjoy the performance as well as make it enjoyable for me. It has been a blast so far and it gets better as you progress.

-Tyler
www.mulliganmagic.tk

Restaurant Magic is something I've been trying to get into, but not too many places around here want to hire a magician to 'bother' their guests. Do you have any tips on the kinds of places that are usually interested in a restaurant magician?

I been doing magic in restaurants now for about 5 or 6 years. I enjoy it.


Most restaurants would love a magician to entertain their guests...especially kids and their wait guests. They just dont know it yet. You got to get real good and blow the socks of them. When you get to the point when you feel like you can make anyone honestly fear you, you can land most any restaurant job.


Blow away a general manager and you got the job in the bag, with you calling the shots.

Thanks alot for the advice B_Magic. Lately I've been blowing away drunk people coming out of the clubs at 2am, but then again, they're drunk. lol. Maybe with some more practice, ill feel confident enough to try to get a restaurant gig.

If I was ever going to start at Restaurants, the firs place I'd go to see if they would hire me would eb an Applebee's, a TGIFridays, Ruby Tuesdays, restaurants like that. Your ebst bet would be Applebee's, if they hire those stupid people to walk around and do balloon animals, they'll hire someone to walk around to tables and do whatnot. (Also, try OliveGarden, every Olive Garden I've ever been to, or heard about had a stupid balloon guy [no offense to balloon.. guys]).

Hope I helped.

I ahve been a full time restaurant magician for four years and part time for two years before that. It was a little nerve racking when I walked out of the "corporate world" at age 54 and went full time in this business but I am glad I did
Paddy

Hi Paddy:We are in the same age group except that my exodus occurred about 15 years ago.I have been the house magician at one restaurant for 15 years and 3 others for 3-5 years.
I am doing my best to help out young aspiring RM's,giving them some real world advice.How do you feel about this premise:A young gung ho technically superior(I am pretty good) performer could walk into any of my restaurants and apply for my gig .....and you know what, they would not get it.Because,I have established myself as more than a well dressed man that does tricks.I have worked hard to become a ENTERTAINER and a kind of "ambassador of good will"for my venues.
Young future restaurant performers should aspire to being more than a suit that does tricks.When you reach the pinnacle of Restaurant Magic you ARE the restaurants Ambassador of good will.People come back to see you not just because of your magical skills,but because they like you as a person.And,I am trying to be better all the time.Please share your thoughts if you wish.
<(*g*)> Rich

Magish, Boy what you say is true!! We are the main represenative of the house. Sounds wrong but it is true. A server can get the food order screwed up or serve it cold or some other thing and a customer will return to the restaurant because we, the strolling entertainer, made thier night a memorable one. This is not me bragging but it is what general managers have told me. It is the reason that I am at all my restaurants for at least a year. I also had one customer actually give me a birthday present one year.

I use the term entertainer because THAT is what we do, entertain. There are a lot of good magicians who are technically far better than I, but I talk to the people, particularily the kids, and during the talk do magic. The three to four minutes I spend at the table leaves the impression that lasts with a customer. This is what being a restaurant magician is about. Keeping people happy, keeping the children quiet and entertained so that all patrons can enjoy thier dining experience.

When there is a child crying I will go up to them and talk to them and do some magic like use the french drop to make things disappear, when they quiet down I slip away to another table. I have had people walk up to me after doing that and hand me tips, saying "thank you for getting him to shut up."

Love this business.

Peter

I've been working at a resturant for about a year now. This isn't my only style of show though. I'm a co directer of a Improv group and a solo stage juggler. So the resturant thing is one of many venues that I get into. But regarding magic, most of what I do is resturant and walk around.
Dan

I'm 19 and I just joined the restaurant scene. This weekend will be the end of my first month. I was a street magician during the summer for the tourists but didn't really make much money. ALLTHOUGH, it was some excellent practice and I learned alot about how to deal with people and how to improvise. And how to recover with somewhat dignity after the worst case scenario happens (like the time my TT flew off my finger....baaaaad news). I do kids birthday parties to but it's not my most favorite thing. I got a restaurant gig with the first restaurant i went to. Being the only restaurant magician in town, the GM was happy to have something unique that no other restaurant in town could offer. Truly this is what i enjoy the most. Quick rundown of the routine i'm using...

1. Red silk and TT
2. Sponge balls
3. A comical 'Marked Card' routine that some local buddies of mine made up
4. The Insurance Policy...another comical routine

After that I either move on or do the Invisible Deck or another regular deck card trick. If they ask for my business card then I like to do 'Miracle' from Michael Ammar's Volume 6 DVD.

I know those tricks are pretty basic and I do much more difficult stuff...but I get such good reactions from these good ole faithful tricks that I can't just put em down. Anyways, that was my input. Hope it wasn't a waste of time. lol

Jason

I'm 18 years old and I've been doing restaurant magic for about three months. I've learned so much in such a short amount of time. It's amazing. Magic is the only thing I do anymore and I LOVE my job. I have such a blast every night I work. I currently work at Don Pablo's, Ground Round, and Colorado Steakhouse on the southside of Indianapolis.

I'm 18 years old and I've been doing restaurant magic for about three months. I've learned so much in such a short amount of time. It's amazing. Magic is the only thing I do anymore and I LOVE my job. I have such a blast every night I work. I currently work at Don Pablo's, Ground Round, and Colorado Steakhouse on the southside of Indianapolis.