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