I worked at a Red Robin back in Michigan. And I got my start the way a lot of magicians get their start table hopping: I went into the place and did some magic for the boss. He liked what I did, so I did some magic for the cooks. They went nuts.
And then I offered him a deal he couldn't refuse: I offered to work for tips only. No base fee. If you're a good magician, it'll be hard for any restaurant owner to turn down a deal like that.
Then, once you build up your experience, as time goes by, you might consider asking your boss for a small hourly fee. Or you might start looking at other restaurants, with the understand that you can use your first restaurant as a solid reference. Heck you might even use the new potential restaurant as a negotiating tactic with the place at which you currently work (i.e., "Restaurant X is willing to pay me $20/hour plus tip. Think you could offer me a little something?")
Good luck to you!
