The following are my routines that i intend to do in restauraunts. I have been working on these all for the pasy year.

Table 1
-red hot mama
-pen through bill
-in a flash

Table 2
-ultimate transpo
-Pinachle ring and rubberband
-ring flite

Table 3
-"stolen cards"
-sponge ball routine
-mr. smiley (sanders)

Table 4
-color changing knives routine
-Creed (22 blows)
-snapshot(linking rubberbands)

Table 5
-pen and coin routine
-back to the future (pit hartling)
-ACR

Table 6
-dreamweaver (linking saftey pin)
-trick photography
-coins across

i am asking this to the more expierienced restauraunt workers here on the forums, is there anything i should add, take away? I have visited several restauraunts recently and like said in Jim Paces "restauraunt workers handbook" i will soon write a letter to the potential places that i could see myself working in. Are my routines good? bad? I have tested all of them and they are all great reaction givers.

Thanks for reading.
IVAN

Everythng seems fine to me; I haven 't found anything wrong with your routines.

But just watch your angles at the Ambitious card Routine.

I like the fact that in most of the routines that you've laid out, you end with a reasonably modular effect. For example, if the food comes while you are performing the second phase of pinnacle you can always finish with that phase, thank them graciously for their time and move on. Same thing goes for an amibitious card and coins across. I'm curious whose version of coins across, color changing knives, and ambitious card you're performing. You might want to reconsider "in a flash" as fire magic is not acceptable in many restaurants. Also you may want to change it merely because it's not modular as I noted above.

"Tribute to Verone..." Is that Henry Evans' effect? When opening with a card effect like that, I usually stick with the cards for the set. Don't feel like you have to do the same, it just fits better with my personality to avoid bringing out a prop like a deck of cards, performing one effect, then putting it back away, then even pulling it back out as you have in the Red Hot mama routine.
Dreamweaver is a terrific opener as it is quick and visual. Color Changing knives, depending on which version you're performing may not be so great as an opener. I haven't really seen many cc knife routines that are very attention grabbing and entertaining.

If you're really sure that you're ready for this, just be entertaining and do what you feel at the moment is right. You might want to look into some of Carl Andrews' materials (Magic from Mauii, How to Make a Living Performing Close-Up Magic, and No Jacket Required). Michael Close's Workers series is also definitely worth looking in to.

Good Luck with everything you choose to do and I hope that I helped.

i need more... please as much critisism as i can get

It sounds good to me, i don't know if you need all those tricks tho, because you are going to preform to different people so maybe take the top 5 tricks and preform them, and maybe switch tricks each day you work.

NOOOOO!!!! you can't perform only five tricks a night!!! Lets say you do your 5 tricks to one table, then jump to the other table right b-side, the chances are that they saw the tricks you just performed at the table next door.

QuickMagic

Hold up, hold up. Definitly NO to the five tricks. You need a minimum of 2 yes count 'em 2 routines 8-10 minutes in length along with 5 extra, stong effects for special guest (something like Carl Andrews cups and balls or a bill in lemon routine).

My reasoning for saying two is:
1. You're doing magic for people waiting for their food, so a lot of times that won't be the case for two tables next to each other; and
2. if it is a lot of the time the ppl are like "can you do that trick with the four kings that you did for them" so you just do the routine over possibly tweeking it a little. Thats my two cents

Example of routine that could be repeated (granted that the table next to you wasn't burning your ever move before, which they likely weren't)

No opener needed they already know your the magician

Cannibal Cards (can be pretty lengthy with patter)
Multiple card location or strong ambtious card

I disagree i think the minimum of routines need is 5. i would never show the table next to the one im performing at any of the tricks i performed at the previous table. if i show something different to a table, it is more intimate for them. if for example they say "can yuo show me the one you did over there with the aces?" i would say," how bout just for you i show you something better than that. it will make them feel important, which will then make them come back. If my performance and technique are perfect then anything i show to people will impress them its all how its presented. this of corse doesnt mean that i show something very cool and amazing to one table and do an easy simple not impressive effect to the next. i think there are strong effects in all of my routines. In a flash, ring flite, ACR. are all very stronge.

There are of corse always exceptions. if an important person is in the restauraunt and the manager requests that i do something particular for them i have no problem doing that. but i still belive that at least 5 routines are necesary. There are a few routines that i have not added to my list. My 4th routine i belive is terrible and i want to fix it, i dont think color changing knives can be a good opener and magic money paddle takes too long to reset. i have to think of other effects that i know to replace those. another thing is in my 2nd routine, tribute to verone by henry evans takes too long to reset. i want to get rid of that and maybe put a nice rubberband openerfor that table to keep the rubberband theme going but i think it will then lack variety. i would like to hear more thoughts on the number of routines needed. and also i would like if people can help me with the routines named above.

Thanks, IVAN

maybe do spongeballs first, but even with that....VERY well done

By the way, the number of routines is the same i have, but i dont do restaurant work yet. However...it works really well for street performing when more people come up to watch, they dont get what everyone else already saw. People who see me more than once also don't get repeats

i dont think sponge balls are a good opener. what does anyone else think?

i don't see whats wrong with sponge balls as an opener. they are very visual. a lot of the magic can happen in the spectators hand. i can see how it is a more difficult ice breaker though, but i guess its all in the performance. so thats my opinion. im not an experienced restaurant magician though, so. . .