I got into doing table hopping almost twelve years ago and have done different venues and shows over the years. However the first restaurant I booked was Buffalo Wild Wings and I just put in my two weeks notice after almost twelve years of working there weekly. I am leaving mainly because I am burned out of doing a kids' night every Wednesday. My wife says I must hold some kind of record having worked the same restaurant gig for just shy of twelve years, but I am sure some of you have worked a venue longer. So how about it? What is your longest run at one restaurant gig? And why did it eventually end?

Congrats on 12 years and you are the one that ended it. That's saying something about you.
I'll be starting my 16th consecutive year in the table hopping business, but my longest run so far was with
Max & Erma's,8 years. They were corporate and filed for bankruptcy.

I currently work 4 others and just reached 7 years in 3 restaurants and 4 years in the other.
Other restaurants had shorter runs.

Thanks for the kind words. I am sure there will be days that I miss doing it. I have one shift left before I am officially done working there.

And thanks for posting. It sounds like you are staying a lot busier than I was here in my little city.

I hope to re-kindle my love of magic by concentrating on routines that I enjoy. Not having to worry if it will work table hopping for children I think will help.

Congratulations Paul! It is not easy maintaining a restaurant gig for that long. There are many factors and challenges as time goes on. Change in management or ownership, asking for pay increases, lower priced competition, and the number one reason: the restaurant goes out of business!

I’m on my 22nd year at the Avalon Yacht Club but I’m not sure it qualifies for this contest since it is seasonal (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Still, there were many challenges and close calls. Other than this I don’t think I’ve had a gig last longer than 5 years.

Lets be honest, table hopping is hard work! Every 5 to 10 minutes you must approach a new table, a new audience, establish your character, impress everyone and make them laugh. You do not have the luxury of having a bad day or being in a bad mood. Well, there are some nights I don’t want to be in a good mood! But you have to be. The way I look at it, you are only as good as the last table you entertained. You must constantly prove to management that you are worth it.

So, I can totally respect your decision to call it quits. Enjoy your well-deserved Wednesday night’s off!

Paul, good post, I have often thought about this too. My run was 18 years twice a week at a restaurant/ bar Amigo’s in Toledo for 18 years. It ended when the awesome owner sold and closed to retire to Florida. I’m now once a week at the most awesome Loma Linda’s Mexican Restaurant / Cantina once a week for the past 10 years. One thing about this place is unique that all demographics come here, so lots of different level shows come from here. Strolling is fun and rewarding.

I once spent 48 hours at a restaurant, non stop, but that was because they wouldn't let me go as I couldn't pay the bill.

Seriously though I've never worked a restaurant. Parties and corporate events yes, but never restaurants. Well done to all those with long serving residencies.

My current Monday, Tuesday, Friday Night Gig. I have been there just over 11 years.

I just ended my second 8 year run at 2 different restaurants. I table hopped when I was in my 20s, then started again in my mid 30s. Both times, I couldn’t make it past 8 years
This time, it’s because of thoracic herniated discs! I wonder if we table hoppers are a consistent clientele of chiropractors and orthopedics. Anyone else have chronic back ache from the restaurant bend??

Ken, you’re so right about the energy it takes to be fun every night, every hour, every minute. And if you have a day job like I do, oof—it’s not easy mustering up the energy many nights. But then again, that’s the job! And it is so rewarding: building up the fan club, great relationships with staff, the marketing. There’s NO better way to book private parties, if you ask me.

So Paul, I absolutely hear and feel you. At the age of 44, my body has told me NO MORE! I’ll probably have to ramp up my online/social media marketing as well as making my private party giveaways more noticeable. But it’s nice to not have that commitment now. But who knows...I’ll probably be back at it sooner than I think!

Congrats on temporary restaurant retirement, Paul

Thanks guys.

I was doing their kid's night and you can only do the sponge balls so many times before you are ready for a break. Now that I am retiring from BWW and kids' magic I can go back to being a hobbyist and studying the magic that I enjoy. Things like longer card routines, Translocation/matrix, and close up mentalism.

18 years and counting. Before that 10. Before that 5.

7 years at a high end steakhouse.

I don't want to dime him out, but I have a friend who is working a few restaurants over twenty years. He is at one in particular, two nights a week, every week, going on 22 years. I've often wondered if he doesn't hold some sort of unofficial record.

Hey Jcigam. At my restaurant I try and work 10 hrs a week but, he lets me work as many as I want. He is a great business owner.

I've been working a restaurant, in Southampton, England, every Tuesday since the 3rd of November 1997. I make that 21 years but seriously doubt that's a record - watch this space

I've been at the same restaurant for 27 years, during that time 10 years at another, it's been quite a journey.

I worked every Friday night for 11 years at B.J. Clancy's Restaurant in Appleton. It surprised me how often I was recognized outside of the restaurant. In fact, at one point my wife and I were sitting in the Tokyo airport after attending a scientific conference in Yokohama Japan when I heard someone yell: "It's the magician from B.J. Clancy's!"

EGAD BRUCE! --THAT'S what I call, NOTORIETY!!!

Interesting they didn't shout your name.

That's an interesting comment. Would it be humbling to just hear you were recognized? Especially in a country across the water? I know when kids I performed for remember me years later on the cruise lines when they come back as the magician that did a trick I would be enthralled because I knew I had made enough of an impact that they remembered.

Glad to hear it.

Now that we have put the ego to rest let me ask you a business question. How exactly do you get hired, if people do not remember your name?

Forget this context. As a general question how can you be hired if you're just the guy who does tricks?

Forget being humbled by the experience. I'm asking from the perspective of running a business.

If all you think matters is people remember you as the guy who did a trick then cool. I just happen to believe that a larger impact can be made. I believe it should be made.

Your position is not wrong. It is just very different from mine.