Here's something that I've been doing to locate restaurants and bars that are more willing to talk to me about working there as a magician:

I've been using Craigslist and clicking on the food/bev/hosp link under the "jobs" category. You'll find out who is hiring bar and waitstaff in your area, what new places are opening up (they are advertising for all positions) and what venues are looking to change things up.

So far I have had success... not everyone hires me but they do seem much more open to at least have the conversation. This is true ESPECIALLY if you have any bartending skills at all and would be willing to work as a "magic bartender"... even if you're alongside another, more experienced bartender.

Either way and no matter how you work it seems to be working for me... I've gotten myself two weekly gigs in the past 10 days tracking Craigslist.

It's also a great way to stay on top of the local industry in general...

ALSO! Don't forget that there are a lot of halloween parties going on all over in just about every city in the country. While I've found these events a real "pain in the neck" to work... it is a great opportunity to pitch your services to a new venue and then do an hour or so for free to get your foot in the door.

Hope this helps!

Mike

I never thought about checking out the food/bev category. I always just checked out gigs and talent. Thanks for the tip. I now have something new to look in to.

Market research is the most overlooked and most important step in the marketing process. Congratulations for stumbling onto this knowledge, and thank you for sharing it with everyone here!

That's a great start. Now you have to come up with an impactful idea to get in their hands and get their attention. Do something that no one else would do.

Rule #1 in hunting ducks is to go where there are ducks!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Rule #2 use the right ammo!

Simply asking people where they really go to have fun and entertain others will load you with information.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Jim Pace gives some good advice on finding places in his book Restaurant Worker's Handbook by Jim Pace & Jerry Macgregor

Ive sold a number of these books to Restaurant guys and they swear by it.

Today I picked up a job at pizza hut with working terms that couldn't really be nicer...

I was there with some friends from a magic society. I tend to abuse pizza hut as a meeting location by staying long after we have finished our food to jam. Today, a large group for cub-scouts came in, and also a party or two of girls. Naturally, we decided to do a couple of tricks. This quickly turned into a full on impromptu gig for the four of us.

I thought the staff might have not liked it, seen as we'd had no permission to do such a thing, but I couldn't have been more wrong. In the end we received a tip from the scout leaders, and the pizza hut manager offered us all jobs. The terms are, when they are busy, particularly when there are larger groups booked, or on request, we may go in and work for £6.50 an hour (or a free meal).

It seems rather drastic and spontaneous, but I guess we must have made a good impression!

Joe

£6.50 an hour or a free meal.....thats a joke right?
Jeez that's what Iv been doing wrong all this time, charging the going rate!

Wow... 6.50 an hour.

That's not undercutting anybody for sure.

Must be some good pizza.

Looks like like many people wouldn't want a pizza of that action.

Huruey I know things are cheap up north, but surely you can see that your rate is way too low?
If you want experience, it's better to volunteer for charity functions for free or for expenses but outside of those (like this 'gig') do charge a proper commercial rate for commerical venues.

Your tellin' me.

What would you consider to be a more appropriate rate? Considering I am a relatively inexperienced student that needs money, a job that pays more than most of the other traditional student jobs I might have had (+ tips) plus the fact that I don't have to commit to any specific hours, I can choose when I go and when I don't (which as a student is incredibly useful), I couldn't really turn it down.

Joe

Huruey,
I'll answer your question about a proper rate in a minute
Your comments I perfectly understand about not having much experience at present, but the time will come in the near future (5-6 months maybe?) where you'll resent working so cheaply for providing the quality entertainment that your increasing experience will provide. Fast forward 3 years when you've long ceased performing at this venue, and if you are by then a pro/semi pro you'll like even less people charging these kind of rates. I'll talk some more in a moment where you can get more experience...
But to first answer your question of wanting to know what to charge your first restaurant? A very good tip I read on the Café ages ago, which I follow to this day, was to quote 5x the price of the highest priced starter on the menu as your hourly rate. That's a good discount for a restaurant residency. Half this price for the first gig, or first month even, is a perfectly legitimate marketing strategy btw.
In terms of where you are right now with wanting to perform but not having a lot of experience I think its better to gain experience for free at charities and community groups (you might get expenses), rather than charge peanuts for proper commercial work in commercial settings (restaurants, weddings etc). After doing this for a while offer your services at a proper rate to commercial clients because you've earned the right to charge a proper amount. Other opportunities to perform for free to gain experience are at friends and your own family gatherings.
Sure, the Pizza place might not hire you for £60 instead of £6.50 - but its better to try to peruade them to do so - & not work the gig if they don't. There are loads of charities and fund raisers out there, they deserve your services for free/expenses more than a restaurant for whom this price is the same as nothing. Moreover, these gigs are the ones you can begin to start earning fees at as well -- perhaps quite modest ones to start - as they often have a budget. There have been threads on here that warn against being taken advantage of in this 'market', so always check if the DJ etc are being paid. If they are, you should be too.
Good luck!

Ya...that's a sweet azz deal he got.

Hi huruey,

Congratulations on the job. You got a rate that you are happy with and some pizza you obviously like, anyone else can take a flying leap. To take advise to shoot high as the moon and bail when they refuse gets you no money and no pizza. You like money and you like pizza so you did good. Now you have a starting point to which no one would argue that up is the given direction you have to go. You went out and stumbled into a job by doing something you like, entertaining people. Again congratulations!

Well I would rate my magic skills a cut above a slice of pizza and a minimum wage per hour,but that's just me.And no,ours isn't brain surgery,but its worth more than that!

I'm glad some of you have enjoyed poking fun at my rates, which in spite of being low, I am definitely still happy with.

Thanks mrsmiles for the advice. In the past I have done a few parties for friends and family and also a couple of parish social events. Now that I'm at uni, I'm also getting involved in some of the university ran charity events. According to the formula you've given I should be charging about £9 per hour for the first month. Maybe I'll take to the manager after he's seen me work a night.

However, if I weren't doing this, then my alternative would most likely be shelf stacking and checkout work for next to minimum wage, about £5, and with an excessive minimum number of working hours at often inconvenient times. Furthermore, the pizza hut is walking distance from my accommodation. I know what I'd rather be doing.

Cheers,

Joe