I have that laid out in my book that Penguin doesn't sell so I can not advertise it here.

What's it called?

HOw old do you have to be to work at a job liek this .

how dya tell the restaurant that you want to work not just with tips-an hourly wage to get them to say yes without sounding rude?

Try reading the first pages of this thread. This has been answered a number of times. Just as a brief hint, you set up something called an "interview" and during that "interview" you lay out something called a "rate sheet" - or you can just let them know how you charge for your services verbally. A rate sheet is far more professional and lets them know you aren't just playing games with them. You are a professional that will treat this restaurant as a professional establishment and will be accountable, prompt, courteous and very entertaining for their guests. You will be a representative of the restaurant and will treat the restaurant, its guests and staff with the utmost of professional courtesy and respect. Now, go back and read the wealth of information that this thread and a couple others in the restaurant walkaround forum contain. You'll be surprised at what you can learn if you just do a bit of reading first.

Good luck, and welcome to the boards. Sorry if I sounded snippy, but there is a large audience here that sometimes is very lazy and doesn't want to research anything before posting a topic. A couple others might have posted even more harshly against you, but I try to be at least civil and courteous in my posts because that's how I would want to be treated.

Dave

I know this is kind of an old thread, but I have several routines worked out for restaurant magic, and I wanted to ask something that I apologize if it has already been covered. How do you get spectators to tip you? I find most people who go to a restaurant intend to tip their waiter, and not a magician. They probably assume you get paid by the restaurant. How do you let them know you accept tips? Also, what should you do if your tips seem to detract from those of the watiers/waitresses? Thanks and take care.

I've seen it done several ways, but my own way is just to not ask or advertise it at all. It wouldn't be appropriate for the upscale restaurant I work in. If people want to tip, they will. I do use some subliminal communication in the form of asking for a bill and then turning it into something of a different denomination (a la the $100 bill switch). I've also just recently acquired the Hundy 500 trick from here at Penguin. I'm hoping this one also gets the spectators thinking "money" and "tips." I'm still working out what patter I'm going to use as a standard. If someone asks, I always tell them I do accept tips. I think its rude if someone hands you a tip - to not accept it. Personal opinion, that's all.

Other methods I've both seen and heard about include a button or badge:

"Tipping is not a city in China."
"Suggested tip $2,428.67"
"I accept TIPS" (a bright yellow button with big black letters)

If you find for some reason (I don't really know how you'd actually find this out, but anyway) that your tips are detracting from the tips the wait staff is receiving, then you might want to make it a practice of saying something like this when someone gives you a tip, "Thank you very much, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the rest of your meal here and please make sure to take care of your waiter(tress) as well. Thanks again, and take care." It doesn't have to be exactly that, but something nice and polite along those lines.

Hope that helps.

Dave

I also don't do anything to solicit tips in my restaurant. I approach the table and immediately tell them that the entertainment is compliments of the house and I hold firm to that. I will accept tips, but only if they take out money and try to hand it to me.

If you do accept tips, one piece of advice I'll pass on, is before you perform your last trick of the set, make sure you tell them it's your last trick. When I've done this personally, I've noticed that the guy with the money usually realizes that time is almost up and he should get some money ready if he wants to tip. It removes the awkward time at the end of the performance, where you're not sure if they want to tip, and the time that you are waiting for the money to come out of his wallet.

Hey esylvan I forgot to post this a little while back. But here is Paddy's/ Peter's book. Making a Living Entertaining in Restaurants. I plan on getting it soon. check it out.

-Mike

Well this may have been covered and it may have not been. This is a very long thread.

First, to get your foot in the door. I arranged a meeting with the head manager (Also known as : G.M.). I brought three of my best effects. Did my routine. If that does not sell them show them refference letters from other resturants you have worked. If this is your first gig ever in this area. Tell the manager that you will give him a free half hour to a hour. At the end of that time if he is getting good feedback from his customers then you would like your rate that you want of payment. Then from there get your booking. If he gets poor or no response you will go and he owes you nothing.

Second, Money I charge $100.00 per hour plus tips. Depending on what the resturant wants me to aim the show towards. What I mean is some resturants want to bring a family atmosphere in. So you want to gear it towards the kids and parents. Some want me to aim towards a adult drinking crowd and so on. So find out what they are trying to do.

This is a very good point to hit on. Lets say you also do kids shows. Lets say the resturant wants to improve their kids night sales. You tell the manager you do balloon animals as well. This is a great way to entertain the kids as well talk with the parnets while you make the animals for the kids. I always drop in lines about the fact that I do kids birthday shows,ETC. ( For instance I use a hand pump for the balloons and people comment on the fact that I am cheating by using it. I always tell this story about when I first started doing balloons I did it without a pump. But after doing a kids birthday show without one and blowing up 25 balloons it changed my thinking about using a pump.) I tell that everytime I approach a table with kids. Normally the question that follows is. So you also do kids shows? How much do you charge? things like that.

And so I can clear the air on this I am 33 I have been performing magic for 7 years and doing resturant work for a year.

I hope I was of some help.

Wher do you live to get that kind of money?

I live in michigan. Some resturants I have worked can only give me $50.00 per hour plus tips. But in those situations I get a free meal out of it.

Vonbodan

hi,

i'm just curious about a few things and was hoping somebody here would help me out.
what is meant by restaurant walkaround?
are you employed by the restaurant as a magician or are you a waiter and just do magic while at work?

thanks

you are hired to walk around the resturant to entertain the customers. You are not a waiter you are the house Magician


Vonbodan

This is my first post on this forum and I have enjoyed reading through all of your posts. I have been practicing magic since the 70's and have worked at two different restaurants, one in Texas from '86 to '88, and one in Ohio from '96 to '99. I currently live in Brisbane, Australia.
If any of you have any questions about restaurant walk-around magic I will be more than happy to help, but please do not take it that I am trying to present myself as some sort of expert on the subject. Lord knows most magic forums already have enough conceited know-it-all, self professed experts. I do not wish to add to their numbers. Any advice will simply be based on the above stated experience.
I will be returning to the U.S. in the near future and plan to return to restaurant work, so I am very much interested in the opinions and advice of some of you here. It has been years since I have even spoken to another magician and I do not exactly have my finger on the pulse of the magic world living here in Australia.
I am no "finger flinger" by any means. The magic I do is pretty basic stuff, so maybe some of you guys can recommend some of the newer effects and DVD's on the market that are suitable for walk-around. I usually look for things with instant or easy reset, or, of course, no reset. My main focus has always been impromptu card magic and packet tricks.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Doug