Your bartenders already perform miracles. They remember the orders, locate the missing tabs, and listen politely to stories with no visible ending. They should not also have to invent the evening’s entertainment.
For a Charlotte bar, brewery, or restaurant, a dedicated magic station gives adult guests a place to gather and enjoy something happening close enough to inspect. They can watch, join the action, and bring a friend over to explain why the perfectly obvious answer was wrong.
I’m Timothy Starnes, a trained comedy and bar magician based in Charlotte. I’m best known for my touring comedy séance, but I also perform comedy magic with cards and props, con games, bar bets, and dice. We can choose the material that suits your venue and its guests.
Give the performance a home within the room
A station works because people know where the entertainment is. Guests can finish their conversation or order before coming over. Staff can explain the location without having to track the magician through a busy dining room.
We should choose the spot together. It needs to be visible and inviting while leaving the bar, server routes, entrances, and dining traffic clear. An unused corner isn’t automatically the best answer if nobody can see or hear what happens there.
I ask for a table and three chairs, or a coffee table with ample audience seating in front and to the sides. We’ll discuss how guests will approach and watch without blocking others. Cards and dice do not become more impressive when viewed through the back of someone’s head.
Build the schedule around service
Tell me how your evening normally runs. When do people arrive? When is the kitchen busiest? Is there a dinner rush followed by a more relaxed period? Will a band, trivia host, or sports broadcast be competing for attention?
For a private restaurant gathering, a planned performance window after dinner may work well. In a bar or brewery, guests may use the station during an agreed period while the venue continues operating. The details depend on the space and the type of booking.
I usually spend one to two hours at a party, with the length adjusted to the event. We’ll confirm arrival and setup with the person responsible for the room. If furniture must move, agree on it before service starts rather than asking a bartender to redesign the floor plan while making six cocktails.
Match the sound and audience to close-up magic
I don’t use a sound system. Guests need to hear my voice and see the action, so a spot directly beside a loudspeaker is unlikely to help either of us. We can discuss a quieter area or a performance window that fits around other entertainment.
My shows are for adults 18 and up. If your brewery or restaurant welcomes families, tell me how an adult performance area or time would work. This is not a children’s activity added to the dining room.
Tell me about the crowd’s sense of humor, too. A private corporate reception and a late-night gathering may want different material. We’ll agree on the tone rather than let the venue manager discover it in real time.
Choose bar magic or a full haunted evening
Comedy magic, bar bets, con games, and dice give guests an interactive experience without requiring a supernatural theme. A séance can be part of a different, deliberately planned event if that suits your customers.
The full theatrical séance requires two hours and an intimate seated group, usually around 10–15 or as many as the table comfortably fits. Guests need the chance to follow the story. It should have its own place in the schedule, with seating and service planned around it.
Read how my performance station works for more on guest flow, or explore close-up magic for venues and private gatherings.
Talk through your venue booking
My rate is $500 per hour. Parties outside the Charlotte, NC area have a two-hour minimum, and we’ll confirm any travel costs in the booking total.
Text Tim at 704-698-7286 with your venue, date, expected adult attendance, available space, and what else will be happening. A photograph of the proposed station is useful.
You handle the spirits behind the bar. I’ll handle the ones with boundary issues.