restaurant clowning

[BUTONS]

does anyone here do any retaurant clowing? if so how did you get started? I'm very intrested in going into this side of the biz.....

Thanks Buttons

[Fitzwilly]

Butons,

Welcome to the Forum. Please take a minute and tell us more about yourself. From your first two posts it souond like you have been clowning for a little while. Where are you located? What type of clowning to you mainly do now? That should give me a little idea on how I might be able to help.

[Happy Chappy & Daisy]

I helped my daughter "Snickers" get started. Basically, she's just gone into restaurants and asked if they'd like a clown here. Smaller, family-owned restaraunts would probably do you better, just because they don't have some corporation telling them what they can and can't do. Some kind of 'buffet' would probably have a larger crowd and fewer waitstaff to bump into. Also, try to get in good with them - if they think you're competing for tips, they can make things hard for you. If you show them that you're only making people happy waiting, and they'll get bigger tips because of you, they can make things much easier for you.

[BUTONS]

will fitzwilly i have been clowing for about 6 years.....i started out by volunteering for the church childrens ministry dept... Funny because i was volunteering for the bus ministry.... the childrens ministry leader had a vision for the department and it involved clowns puppets and all kinds of things....i caught on the her vision and it became a burden for me to work for the kingdom in this area.....i have since feel in love with clowning and do it all the time......pepole in the church asked for birthday parties so i got involved in that side of the biz .......i really injoy seeing the look people get when they see a clown...it's a great feeling.....


later buttons

[Fitzwilly]

Well I'm too tired tonight and having computer problems to boot. Let me think on this.

[tim]

There is a reason they calling "boot"ing a computer. Often one wants to kick it.

[Magic Jeff]

what you can do is just go around table to table doing funny stuff, sread the cheer is what i say!

[Jolly Well]

You also want to be aware of the negative side of table-hopping. Many customers don't want table side entertainment and I've found many performers have a hard time being told "no."

I actually make it a point to avoid performing establishments when I'm out for dinner normally - although i will go to support other magicians occassionally.

Most recent example of this was a performer asking if table wanted to see a trick - Male patron says no and the clown won't let it go; I later discovered he thought the guy was just shy and wanted to try to open him up - in the end the situation exploded and customer wasn't happy = management isn't happy = unemployment line for performers.....

Also (as always) make sure you have a solid line-up. Restaurant magic is tough and you'll have to deal with angles. Maybe not so much with clowning, I've never done it. But a poor routine can lead to firing and an unwillingness of the restaurant to hire future employers.

[BennyO]

I realy can't think of what you sopughtof routines you would use as a clown in a restaurant. I work in restuaurants from time to time as a magician or a balloon twister which I have always foud fun.

One tip I got given by a friend in Melbourne on how to approach tabels as a magician was purely redefining magician. We are in a social art. So be social. I am now comfortabel approaching stranger and having conversations. This becomes infinately easier as a clown though.

[Happy Chappy & Daisy]

Originally Posted by BUTONS

Funny because i was volunteering for the bus ministry....

You know, I tried a bus ministry for about a year. All that preaching, and I never converted a single bus...