Magicians LOVE restaurant work. They flock to restaurants like sea gulls to the sea shore. Of course, the reason is obvious.. restaurants have been, and continue to be, one of the primary venues where Magicians can perform their magic and earn a substantial income. Restaurants have also long been one of the primary training grounds for good Close-up Magicians, who develop their routines and performing personas while entertaining strangers in a public setting.
Why the relationship between restaurants and Magicians? Restaurants, like all businesses, are constantly striving to bring customers through the door, especially during the mid-week. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are typically slow days for restaurants, and the idea of having a performer, such as a Magician, clown, or baloon artist, on site to entertain and encourage customers who may not otherwise come to the restaurant mid-week, is the sole reason why many Magicians have a job at all.
For the Magicia n, this has meant a variety of work during the early part of the week, and then a hustle toward the weekend to line up profitable gigs. This lack of work on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays has led many a Magician to continue to hold down full-time jobs to make ends meet...
Maybe... just maybe... I can change that trend in your life and get you on the list of 'full-time professionals'.
Restaurants that have empty tables during the week typically have long lines waiting on those same tables on the weekend, at least at most national chains like Outback, Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays, and TGIF, for example. Of course, most communities have locally owned restaurants that face the same 'problem'.. if you want to call it that...
Restaurants love 'problems' like this. Customers waiting outside their doors are a sign, of sorts, that their establishments are popular eateries. But... there IS a downside that many restaurants fail to address, in part because they don't kn ow HOW to address it.
Dollars are dollars, and any time potential customers walk away from one restaurant and go to another, the first establishment is a loser, regardless of how many customers they have waiting in line. You never want your customers to eat anywhere else.
As wonderful a car as a Mercedes can be, Mercedes dealers don't want you to ever test drive a Jaguar or a BMW. They want you to come back to their dealership, without hesitation, every time you're ready to buy a new car. There may be something as simple as the way a Jaguar's motor purrs, or the new car smell of the BMW that entices a Mercedes owner to switch brands. Dealers don't want to take that chance, and they will bend over backwards to make sure you make their dealership your first, and only, choice..
Restaurants have the same problem. They can lose a customer to a competitor over a piece of cheesecake or a choice of music.
One of the first rules of successful marketing is show ing the potential client the 'benefit' of your services. It's not important that you're the club 'Magician of the year', or the former Magician at one of their competitors. It's not important that you're super friendly, talented, multi-lingual, or ambidextrous. What IS important is - what can you do for the restaurant to justify their paying you to perform. How can your performance put money in THEIR pocket. It's that simple.
If you can convince a restaurant owner/GM that you have the ability to prevent potential customers from becoming frustrated by long waits and long lines and taking their dollars elsewhere, that you can keep customers in line and happy - you have your foot firmly in the door.
Propose to the owner/GM that they hire you to keep waiting customers entertained. How many parties do you have to persuade to stay to pay your salary? With the average bill for a party of four at a national chain running from eighty to one hundred dollars - not many.
Entertaining waiting guests is an ideal situation for Magicians. Now, your job is more that of a Strolling entertainer than a table-hopper. You can entertain customers without the distraction of food, drinks, and wait staff. You can develop a rapport with your audience, since you should have their undivided attention.
You will help customers pass the time, and turn their wait into a (hopefully) memorable experience. Restaurants will see customers returning weekly for the enjoyment of both good food and good entertainment. This should be a win-win-win for the restaurant,the customer, and YOU.
Working as a Strolling Magician may require you to alter your routine somewhat, but it'll be well worth it. I think you'll find the change re-invigorating. Working table-hopping during the week and Strolling on weekends adds a certain diversity to your performances that will actually make you look forward to both styles, and make you a more well-rounded performer as well.
Depending on the type of waiting area your restaurant has, you may be able to sit up a small table and perform a more 'parlor style' of magic, and let the waiting customers come to you to be entertained. This would extend your repertoire and allow you to control angles, but, alas... not all restaurants have the room to accommodate this style.
Since you will not solicit tips, the restaurant will have to pay for your services directly, which should be the case anyway. But the amount of money you can save the restaurant should FAR more than cover your income.
Take this idea, add your personal twist to it, and see if it doesn't have the power to change the way you look at restaurant work.
Rick Carruth is the editor of Magic Roadshow... magic's Premier Free newsletter. A selection of articles, tips, Tricks, interviews, and resources are included in each issue. Sign up at: http://StreetMagic.info
Author:: Rick Carruth
Keywords:: restaurant magic, Magician, Strolling, Close-up, Worker, Tricks,
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