I agree with Tomer's above post. In addition, I think it can be useful to throw a gimmick in once in a while - just to loose the people who think they might be following your moves. Example, - after doing a few card tricks with no Gaffs, or gimmicks, I sometimes close the routine with the Hover card. This leaves their eyes popping and bewildered.

KSalaz

a2r5r8,

One thing you are going to have to wary about-How much magic do you have? Although I have not worked a restaurant in my life, I've come to realise that restaurant work will take up so much of your material. For example, you have 9 effects the first night you work (3 for each table, and you can't do the same effect for the table beside the one you just performed for). So in one night 9 effects, the next night, 9 completely different effects, just in case you have repeat customers or whatever. In two nights that's 18 effects. The next week, 9 different effects, then the next time you work, 9 new effects and so on and so forth. The point is, restaurant magic will take up a lot of magic, and plus, you don't want your whole routine to be cards. I've heard that most restaurant magicians have less than 50% cards and the rest other (ie. spongeball, coins, pens, rubberbands, napkins or whatever). Just something to think about.

Thank you! My god, if people READ the post, it says There is no Saliva. Learn to read! And no, mysteriousone, io don't have spit resting on my lips, thanks for the advice though.

I will look into On the loose, but as of now, i'm kinda broke and really don't have time to be "reroutining." Thanks for the advice.

Hockey- i didn't know resturaunt magic would require THAT much magic. Maybe i could do the same 4 routines for 3 or 4 weeks and then change to all new routines. I really don't have time to change them every single week. But who really eats at the same resturaunt every week at the same time on the same day? I don't know anyone that does that. But if i run into repeat customers the very next week, i'll be prepared to have a backup plan (i'll come up with something BEFORE this happens, don't worry.)

Thanks for the advice, i really appreciate it.

Hockey's post is based on unrealistic conditions. I'm assuming if you have 9 solid effects you have atleast that many that you could use as fill-ins if one of Hockey's situations comes up.

My card to mouth routine is perfect for retaurants:
Approach someone in the middle of there meal and do the trick, then start looking ill and get a bucket and go violently sick in it (do this by trying to swallow card, it creates the same feeling as sticking finger down throat) and then take out the card from the bucket with their knife and fork (don't wanna get your hands messy, wipe your hands on their napkin) and throw the card covered in sick on the table then say 'TA DA!'

Hey Roy,
I think it would be a more powerful effect if you place the card in either their hand or on their plate. Just a little advice for you. lol

Today is the day, good luck man! that would be really cool to get the job, I'm sure you will do great.

Let us know what happens ASAP!

Thanks,
Matt

Talk to the cook. Perform card in soup.

I disagree with hockey. You don't need 9 new effects for every night... you won't have that many repeat customers. It would be good just to have sets of routines to alternate each day/week, and then throw in new effects every now and then. If you were like paddy and worked six nights a week, judging by your rules, you would need 2808 effects a year... not gonna happen, and way beyond necessary.

I'm not sure if you work in restaurants (I don't). However, a friend of mine, who works and has even published in restaurant magic, told me this. He said: "That nothing-absolutely nothing, is guaranteed to take/eat up material like table hopping.For just one night, the minimum would be three sets of three tricks each. One set at each of three tables, another for the next three, and a third, for the third three. But that's just for one night. What happens on Night Two, when many of the same people return?" He's had first hand experiance. He's worked for years, obviously I'll take his advice over yours.

I don't know what restaurants you go to, but unless you live in a town where everyone's rich, they won't be back on night 2 unless they are an extreme regular. I'm about to start restaurant work sometime in April, but I've worked in restaurants all my life and haven't seen but two or three groups that might come more than once a week. Sure, you need to keep coming up with new stuff, but think of it this way...

Night one, you do routines A, B, and C.
Night two, you do routines D, E, and F.

A week passes, and here comes night three. You might see a few tables that have seen A, B, and C, but consider that over 90% of the people there haven't even seen you at all. They haven't witnessed A, B, C, D, E or F. So why trash those routines? It's a waste. If people return that saw A, do B or C to them. Also, the people that saw A definitely didn't see D, E or F. This should make some kind of sense.

i agree with hockey on this one. i think u need at least 9 routines a night, and trying changing them even a little bit every week. also, i wanted to say that there r repeating customers every week and on the same day, people that have jobs do that a lot. like going with the same friends to the same bar or restaurant every week on the same day. i think that when u start performing u would remember almost all the faces u will be performing to, which is really good if u have repeating customers.
i also think that having only 3-4 routines can become VERY boring to perform, u would get sick of it, performing the smae magic all the time is boring, especially when it's repeating itself every half an hour. if i were u, i wouldn't start befor i have AT LEAST 9 solid routines. u can even use the same tricks, just make a diffrent patter and diffrent routines. again, i would HIGHLY recommend getting On the Loose BEFOR starting to perform. even if ur broke, explain to ur parents to loan u the cash coz what ur'e getting would give u that money back plus more.
i hope this would convince u more, what i'm trying to say is, that i personally think ur'e not ready yet, unless u get more routines into ur performences. when u do magic with 3 routines, u won't have the chance to enjoy it, especially when ur'e depended on gimmiks (even if it's not only gimmiks).
i hope this little post gaved u something to think about. u don't have to take my advice, coz i'm not performing in a restaurant right now, i got about 12 diffrent routines that i can do that each can take 5-10 min. the reason i havn't started yet is because i feel i'm not ready yet. what i'm trying to tell u here, is not to jump on this job, coz more will come along the way. also, doing street magic for a SINGLE day would improve ur magic a lot, it's an advice i got from a friend. i tried it myself and it really works, it helps u by knowing how to approach strangers in ur own way.

i wish u the best of luck in this buisness,

Tomer

I am happy to know that someone who has never worked as an entertainer can know so much about it. I will go along with your reasoning if, by the word routine, you mean a series of 3 to 5 "tricks." In that case we have agreed. You need to know a minimum of 6 routines consisting of 3 "tricks" each for a total of 18 effects. Then you can move the 18 tricks into many, many different routines.

However if by "routine" you mean one trick for a total of 6 tricks, you are mistaken. Sorry but being a restaurant magician requires WORK and preparation, not just playing with a few magic "tricks."

Did u get it??? When will you be performing, i can see you

I haven't read through the rest of the replies so this may have already been addressed, but card (or anything) from mouth is a horrid idea especially at a resturant. You are going to hold your germ infested card in front of me and my guests at my table? Perhaps you're going to do some "in my hand" magic next? Did you stop and wash your hands when you performed it for the table behind me? Sorry, no go on anything from your mouth.