Table-Hopping – Guide to Restaurant Magic

Table-hopping is a unique form of entertainment in which magicians perform tricks for restaurant patrons. It can offer a rewarding and dynamic career, a second income stream, or even a way to help fund college or university living costs. Let’s look at a few core points to mastering the art of table-hopping.

Understanding Table-Hopping

Table-hopping involves performing magic tricks for restaurant guests to entertain them without disrupting their dining experience. The goal is to enhance the patrons’ experience and encourage repeat visits to the restaurant. The essence of successful table-hopping lies in making the performance about the patrons and the restaurant, not the magician.

Choosing the Right Tricks

When selecting tricks for table-hopping, focus on effects that are easy to carry, quick to reset, and highly interactive. It’s essential to choose tricks that patrons enjoy, even if they differ from your personal favourites. Some recommended tricks include:

Sponge Ball Magic: Always a hit with both children and adults due to its visual appeal and interactive nature.
Thumb Tip Magic: Avoid overexposed tricks like the “Vanishing Silk” and instead use creative routines such as “torn and restored sugar packet,” in which a sugar packet is emptied into your fist and then seemingly restored.
Paddle Tricks: Simple yet effective, paddle tricks like “Hot Rod” can engage and amaze your audience.
Rubber Band Magic: Tricks like “Crazy Man’s Handcuffs” are easy to perform and leave a lasting impression.
Card and Coin Magic: While card tricks are great for adults, simple coin tricks can captivate all ages.

Approaching and Engaging Tables

Approaching tables confidently is crucial to table-hopping. Start by addressing children, as they are often the easiest audience. Make your presence known without being intrusive. Use humour and engaging patter to draw attention. When approaching adults, a prop like sponge balls can provide a smooth introduction. Always approach tables after the main course when patrons are more relaxed and receptive to entertainment.

Building Relationships with Staff

Creating a good rapport with the restaurant staff is essential. Meet the wait staff early, explain how your performance will not interfere with their duties, and assure them that your presence will enhance their tips. A supportive wait staff can significantly enhance your performance by recommending you to patrons and creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Financial Considerations

Charging the right amount is key to maintaining a long-term engagement with a restaurant. A typical rate for table-hopping is often 4 x one cover excluding drinks. So if an average meal is £20-£25, you would charge £80-£100 per night. Avoid hourly rates, as they can lead to shorter engagements. Instead, focus on demonstrating your value to the restaurant’s bottom line by increasing patron satisfaction and encouraging repeat business.

Managing Performance Time

Limit your time at each table to about 3-5 minutes, ensuring you leave patrons wanting more. This approach not only keeps the energy high but also helps in maintaining the restaurant’s table turnover rate, which is crucial for the business.

Table-hopping is a challenging yet highly rewarding form of magical entertainment. By focusing on the patrons’ experience, selecting the right tricks, and building strong relationships with the restaurant staff, you can create memorable performances that benefit both you and the establishment. Remember, the key to success in table-hopping is making each performance about the patrons and ensuring they leave with a smile, ready to return for more.

For more detailed strategies, tricks, and professional insights, Paul A. Lelekis’s e-book offers a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of table-hopping. Paul A. Lelekis, a seasoned magician with over 25 years of experience, shares invaluable insights and strategies for succeeding in this field.

Twitter For Magicians – 8 Top Tips

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

By Paul Osborne

Paul runs Merchant of Magic’s Twitter account. A former teenage magician, he took a brief 30 years off to pursue drumming and standup comedy. Now back in love with magic, he’s slowly working his way through Royal Road to Card Magic and Bobo‘s Modern Coin Magic.

Firstly, let me say, I’m not some bright young thing with a man bun, smart shoes/no socks, and a degree in marketing and social media. I’m just someone who has used Twitter a lot over the past few years and kept an eye on what works and what doesn’t; looking at which accounts get a lot of followers, and why — and which posts get a lot of retweets.

So I thought I’d put together a few tips to help those magicians — or magic fans — who want to grow a following on social media.

This is the most important tip. But what do I mean by ‘sharing’? Well, just sitting there sending out a couple of tweets a day about your new magic show is a waste of time. Most people follow a lot of accounts (sometimes thousands). The chances of them seeing your lone tweet in their timeline are nil. I’m not saying don’t send out these tweets, I’m saying you must do lots of other things as well.

And this is where the sharing bit comes in. Make a list of other magic accounts that you like — ones that tweet interesting stuff about magic, [John Cox @HoudiniWild tweets daily about Houdini, for instance] and regularly retweet them. What often happens is, after a while, people will also start checking out your account because they know you retweet interesting posts. Go through your list every day to check for new posts from these Twitter users. It gives you a more structured way of using Twitter.

Secondly, if someone mentions you in a post [eg, ‘I saw your magic show last night, it was brilliant!’] don’t just hit the ‘like’ button; retweet it as well. It’s a way of saying thank you to the person who left the comment and it’s also a bit more promotion for you. Sharing the love!

And comment on other people’s posts. Add to the conversation if it interests you. It will get your name about.

2. You don’t have to be on Twitter ALL the time, but you do have to use it regularly.

When I first started using Twitter I was often amazed at how certain ‘normal’ people (ie, not celebrities, businesses, etc) would get Twitter followings of 8,000, 9,000, 10,000 people. After a while, I realised that many of these people are, not only, on the platform for hours at a time, but they are also regularly commenting on other people’s posts and retweeting other people’s comments and posts — sharing, you see. And then the circle of people they interact with gradually grows over time — and so does their following.

Now, most busy magicians — or working magic fans — probably haven’t got time to spend hours on Twitter, but a little structured, regular use will help. Effective Twitter for magicians only needs about 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the evening? Or put aside some time at weekends. And if you regularly travel by train, then that would be a good time for Twitter sessions on your mobile phone.

And if you’re spending that time retweeting other accounts’ content, then you’ll only be using one hand (either your smartphone scrolling thumb or your mouse if you’re on your laptop) so why not practise a few coin sleights with your other hand? Kill two birds with one stone.

The important thing is that the time needs to be spread out over the day. I spend two hours in the morning on Merchant of Magic’s account, an hour late afternoon, and 30 minutes in the evening. (plus a few stints over the weekend to keep it ticking over.) If I compressed all those hours into just, say, mornings, then I’d miss any engagement/comments posted during the afternoon and evening.

3. As well as retweeting others, post interesting content yourself.

As a magician, you’ve got a skill that ‘normal people don’t have. So make sure you’re regularly posting interesting stuff about magic. It could just be a photo of you performing at that wedding last weekend. Or a photo of the latest trick you’re working on. A show or event coming up. Anything interesting. (eg, The Magic Mod @taylormod posts a Magic Mod Monday trick every week, which is very popular)

Why aren’t you posting some of your thoughts on magic? Sharing clips from YouTube of your favourite magicians? Or asking questions of the magic community, ‘What’s the worst gig you’ve ever done?’ etc. People love getting involved with these sorts of questions because it’s good fun for everyone to chip in.

And, briefly, on the subject of ‘divisive topics’, if you’re just using Twitter to promote yourself as a magician — or you’re a magic fan and want to build a following of other magic fans — then I’d personally steer clear of tweeting about politics, religion, etc, which may put some people off revisiting your site if they don’t share your views. But it’s a personal choice, of course. One way around it would be to have two Twitter accounts – one for your magic tweets and one for politics. But, again, it’s up to you. Tweeting about politics could actually help you build a following of people in your political camp if that’s what you want.

4. Don’t forget to tag in relevant accounts.

Here’s one of the Twitter mistakes I see a lot. Someone will, say, write an interesting blog about a forthcoming magic show, and they’ll just tweet out their blog post, and that’s it. Why haven’t they tagged in the magicians involved? Why haven’t they tagged in the theatre? Theatres often retweet favourable blogs/previews etc because it’s good publicity for them. If you’re writing about Mac King’s show, or you just mention Mac King in a tweet, tag in Mac King! He may retweet it, you never know.

5. Follow people back.

If someone follows you, follow them back. It’s just a nice thing to do. I’m always amused when I see people who follow no one, and into my head pops the phrase: ‘How incurious of you!’ (Sometimes follow-backs are missed, so if you’re reading this and we haven’t followed you back then give us a nudge!)

6. Make sure you have a good pinned tweet.

Twitter lets you ‘pin’ one tweet — which means that it always sits at the top of your profile. So when someone visits your Twitter site they will see that tweet first. So, if you have a show, event, or just a general tweet about you as a magician that you want people to see, then pin it to your profile. Just google ‘how to pin a tweet’ if you’re unsure how to do it.

Your whole Twitter for magicians strategy should be about creating an interesting Twitter site that encourages people to check out your account, see your pinned tweet and then check out your timeline.

7. Twitter banner pictures need to look good.

Make sure the photographs at the top of your site look great. A good picture of you performing, for instance, or a posed picture in your stage clothes. (Not in your hoodie drinking a cup of tea — unless that’s your act!) Or how about a photo of a selection of magic tricks? You can get some good photos on free images websites.

And think about the words in your bio. Put yourselves in the shoes of a magic fan checking out your account for the first time. Does it sound professional? It could even be something simple such as ‘Professional magician’ with a link to your website, or ‘Magic fan’. And make sure you double-check the spelling, grammar etc.

8. Getting followers if you’re new to Twitter.

If you’re new to Twitter and have zero followers then, first of all, you need to follow a bunch of people so that a proportion of people follow you back. But beware of visiting a famous magician’s followers and going down the long list hitting ‘follow’. Twitter may think you’re a bot and briefly kick you off. So be a bit selective. It’s probably better to search for the word ‘magician’ or ‘magic fan’ and find other magic enthusiasts to follow that way.

And finally…

Remember, it may take a few months to start building a group of people who regularly interact with you, so be patient — and just enjoy it.

If you have any more tips/ideas, please leave a comment.

How to Stand Out as a Magician

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

Here’s a question from one of our readers, James:

“What is that ONE magic trick that will make me stand out?”

I’m so glad I’ve got a chance to address this question. I see it a lot; and the answer might either be a really frustrating one or enlightening, depending on how you act on it.
You can either take this advice and create an incredible, showstopping trick that WILL make you stand out, or you might choose to abandon it in favor of the easier answers out there.

There is no ONE trick that will make you stand out; but there can be YOUR one trick that will.

What do I mean by this?
Even the best effects, if they don’t work with your persona and style as a magician, will be weaker than basic effects that DO follow suit with who you are.

Imagine if Derren Brown were to perform a Dynamo effect. Sure, it wouldn’t be bad, but it wouldn’t be anything memorable either. That’s because it doesn’t fit who Derren Brown is as a magician.

So, the answer is that the ONE trick that will make you stand out is ENTIRELY dependent on who you are as a magician, and ultimately, as a person.

To illustrate my point, let’s compare this to a similar question I often see in the world of fashion.

“What is the ONE outfit that will really make me stand out?”

Again, it’s obvious that this question is completely subjective. There’s no clear answer. The answer will vary massively depending on a bunch of factors; your height, weight, gender, build, etc. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

It’s exactly the same in magic. Although the factors that are perhaps slightly less visible, they need to be taken into account nonetheless.

So, how do you decide which trick is the No.1 trick for YOU?

Here’s five simple steps that should help you narrow it down…

Step 1: Evaluate Your Audience; Who Are You Trying To Impress?

You mention in your initial question that you want to ‘stand out’.

Great. But you first need to really zone in on WHO you want to stand out to; the tricks that impress one demographic might fall flat in front of another.

For example, some tricks that might work like a charm at children’s parties would not fool an adult audience, and vice versa, some of the tricks performed for adults would go straight over the heads of any children watching them.

As a general rule:

– Simple and visual tricks will work well for younger audiences as they require less concentration and hold attention better.

– For story or narrative based routines, make sure the audience is mature enough to understand the messages and values you are trying to convey through the story. Consider tailoring the narrative to make it more relevant to the respective audience.

So when preparing to select a knockout trick, you first need to consider your audience. What’s more, your choice of audience will undoubtedly affect the presentation of the effect too.

Once you have your audience in mind and understand what you need to deliver based on their needs, let’s move on to the next step.

Step 2: Persona and Entertainment Level

This is a really key step.

In order to create a trick that will make you stand out, YOU as a person need to stand out. It’s not enough to simply rehash a presentation of the trick that you’ve seen before. You need to find your own spin on it.

In fact, I would argue that the best magicians are remembered for their presentation MORE so than the trick performed.

A great example of this is Penn and Teller; the comedic magic duo. A lot of the tricks they perform are fairly common in the magic world (such as the Cups and Balls) but they have such unique takes on the presentation that their performances are highly entertaining and definitely ‘stand out’ for their audience. This suggests that the real key to standing out is to have a memorable persona rather than just relying on a memorable trick.

How do you create a persona?
I’ve found that the best way to develop a persona is by consistent performing over time. The more you perform, the more your own style will emerge. Initially you’ll be tempted to stick to the same formulaic approaches to effects, but once you gain more confidence, your persona will naturally start to shine through.

Now I’m not encouraging you to just wing it and hope that sooner or later something will stick. Every time you perform, analyze your performance afterwards. Which bits worked? Which bits didn’t?

The key thing is to try to make sure you come away from it having learnt something new. A certain one liner might have landed really well, whilst a new phase to your routine didn’t. As you make a note of these things and edit your performances accordingly, you should see a persona starting to emerge.

Step 3: Mastery

Now that you have an idea of a trick and the presentation you are going to use in your head, you need to practice it until you can do it in your sleep.

Why?

Well, the more you need to concentrate on your getting the sleights right during the trick, the less you can perform. As a result, the weaker your grasp of the sleights, the weaker the entertainment level.

So, you need to ensure that you are COMPLETELY comfortable with every sleight required to the point where you can perform the routine blindfolded or distracted.

Basically, you want to be able to place all your focus on the presentation and selling of your persona; and one of the best ways to do this is by gaining a really strong muscle memory of the sleights.

By now, you should have a trick, persona, and a strong grasp of the sleights. What next?

Step 4: You Have The Final Say

Even if you think you’ve managed to tick all the boxes with a trick, the final decision should be made on the basis of how it feels to you personally; whether or not you choose a trick might just come down to the fact that it does or doesn’t FEEL right.

And that’s how it should be.

You might have a great trick that is perfect for your audience, fits your persona, and you can do easily. But if it doesn’t sit well with you, it’s still not going to be that knockout trick you want it to be. At the end of the day, you need to perform what you feel most comfortable and happy performing.

Your attitude will rub off onto your audience!

Step 5: Trial and Error

Once you’ve selected a trick that fulfills all the requirements we’ve gone through, and you’re happy to perform it, the next step is to just get out there and try it!

Don’t be dissuaded if it isn’t a home run first time round. It’s unlikely that it will be!

Professional magicians might perform and refine their material for years before they settle on a few firm ‘signature’ tricks. You might do it sooner, or you might take longer. The important thing is to keep on evolving and improving! Eventually you’ll find a few solid tricks that you can really ‘own’ and will definitely make you stand out!

I hope that helped you gain an understanding into how you can stand out as a magician! The secret is not to rely on the tricks themselves, but your persona as an individual.

I do appreciate that this might not have been the answer you were looking for, and if you have absolutely NO idea where to start, here’s a few solid tricks that you can’t go wrong with to set you on the right path…

The Invisible Deck
A mind reading miracle using a single deck of cards.

Cube 3
Possibly the most visual magic trick you’ve ever seen. Solve a mixed up Rubik’s Cube, INSTANTLY!

Cardtoon
A captivating card trick that uses a stickman to read the mind of your audience.

How to be yourself as a magician

The tricks to professional magicians use

About the author: Benji is a hobbyist magician from the UK who also runs The Daily Magician