I've heard about restaurant magicians, bar magicians and general strolling magicians. But am I the first liquor store magician? It's been a weird journey. Prompted by the boys being grown and out of the house, I started working a couple of nights a week at a local mom and pop liquor store. Also prompted by the boys being out of the house, I started back up with magic after about a 20 year hiatus. So I thought, why not combine the two? The environment is almost perfect. The counter is 40 inches high and very comfortable. I have shelves underneath the counter. The counter/performance area is about 24"x24". I have a wall to my left and the register to my right to protect my angles. The bottom of the counter on my side has a nice facia piece of wood that's underside is a perfect place to put that special piece of something for Michael Ammar's card on the ceiling. We hand out Dum Dum suckers to customers that bring their kids in. I have Super Sucker on order for them. And my boss loves the idea. I have about a 50/50 mix of regular and random customers. So here's what I am thinking:

I ask if they would like to see coin/card/or other effect.

Coins:
Matrix
Scotch and Soda
CSB
Coins across
My own version of Bobo's coin fold using flash paper to Viking nested boxes
3Fly - in development

Cards:
Ammar's card on the ceiling
Bannon's Twisted Sisters
Harris' Deep Astonishment
Know It All - Dani DaOrtiz (If there are three customers)
Profile - Waiting on arrival
Envylope 2.0 - Waiting on arrival

Other:
Super Sucker - for kids
Stealth Pen
Shattered - Wolf's Magic
Pieces of Three Ropes and a Baby

Considering adding:
Hook - Eric Ross (our clientele is very blue collar)
Minibook Pro
Cloak
Chop - Craig Petty

What are your guys thoughts?
Thanks!
Scott

They bring kids into a liquor store?

Isn’t the idea to ring them up and get them out?

What is that transition like from sales to random magic trick?

On the way home from school or gym class, momma needs her Chardonnay.

Other than between 5 and 6 PM, it's not super busy. and many of my clientele love to visit. Right now, I just ask, "Do you like magic? Would you like to see a trick?" As I get more comfortable performing in my surroundings, we might start advertising on the marquee. Something like, "Come in for the beer and check out our staff magician!" I don't know. That's why I'm looking for ideas and input. It's a pretty fun and laid back place to perform...

Just seems like an odd place to shoehorn in magic.

Don't forget Multiplying Rabbits and someone's Pea Can.

Multiplying bottles

I would imagine the store is pretty well set up for the Any Drink Called For

It's set up well for pretty much any close-up magic you can think of. About the only place I have better control of is my living room...

I was off last night and was talking to my boss who was working at the store. I heard him telling customers to come in on Mondays and Wednesday nights to see the staff magician.

But I don't think I will be using his suggested stage names...

'My Drink Trick' checks a lot of boxes. Completely in-hands, no sleights, and a lot of fun patter possibilities for each card.
Available at International Magic Shop.

I first saw it years ago on a Patrick Page DVD and sent for it quick! I think he credits Mackenzie.

Naturally, Juan Tamariz has a terrific handling:
Four Blue Cards (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpxwbo-R39Y

I will check it out. Thanks!

Let's not confuse a genre or market with simply a venue (not to mention a venue with many key performance dynamics missing).

I feel the same way but hey if it will work for you.
Liquor stores are a hot spot for thieves, maybe you can throw a piece of flash paper at a gun wielding robber

Good luck. Time will tell.

Good point. Venue probably would have been a better way of putting it.

I have other more effective ways of dealing with threatening characters. This is Kansas after all. One-time home of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday. Us good ol'Kansas boys frown on gun toting miscreants.

Maybe you could add a bullet catching routine...

That would probably play well in St. Louis or Chicago...

Now that's funny.

Did kind of a short audition for my boss at the liquor store last night. They are doing serious road construction out front so business has been slower than usual. So I told him I had something to cheer him up and did Super Sucker for him. Transitioned into Twisted Sisters. Fishing in my pocket for the TS packet allowed me to get rid of something. Then finished with Primary version of Profile. My prediction was, "If Mike (my boss) arrives at a RED card, he will give Scott a $5 and hour raise." He loved it but said he wasn't springing for any flash pots or smoke machines...