Restaurant Contracts

[safiradokos]

I'm working on some regular gigs at some new venues in my area and have the opportunity to use a contract with some of the venues (yay! especially since the established venues around here seem positively allergic to them). I had more or less figured on modifying my private party contract, but thought I'd check in here on Bhuz to see if anyone had a restaurant contract that they'd be willing to let me get a look at. I wanna make sure that I think of everything on the front end!

Thanks in advance for any help!

[maurazebra]

We don't use contracts with restaurants. Probably because a restaurant is gonna do what it is gonna do, and things can change very fast. As soon as it gets slightly rancid, we walk. There's no contract preventing us. Ruric is having a discussion with a new restaurant this afternoon. She will make the cost and performance details clear and make sure that the restaurant does NOT expect us to bring the audience with us. (Managing a restaurant's expectations is probably the most difficult aspect of the negotiation.) And no one is going to be dancing on the bar or outside on the sidewalk, either. If the negotiation results in a go, then it's a gig.

We've learned that if you feel something wierd is about to happen, you are right. Quit or take immediate steps to mitigate the damage.

[ElissaDancer]

Originally Posted by maurazebra

We don't use contracts with restaurants. Probably because a restaurant is gonna do what it is gonna do, and things can change very fast. As soon as it gets slightly rancid, we walk. There's no contract preventing us. She will make the cost and performance details clear and make sure that the restaurant does NOT expect us to bring the audience with us. (Managing a restaurant's expectations is probably the most difficult aspect of the negotiation.) And no one is going to be dancing on the bar or outside on the sidewalk, either. If the negotiation results in a go, then it's a gig.

We've learned that if you feel something wierd is about to happen, you are right. Quit or take immediate steps to mitigate the damage.

I've danced in literally dozens of restaurants, clubs, and hookah lounges around the Los Angeles/Orange County area for several years. I have never once signed a contract with anyone for this exact reason. And the restaurant managers wouldn't really expect you to either.

[sabrinabellydancer]

another perspective: when i worked in the l.a. nightclubs, i always signed a quarterly contract. spelled everything out including duration of show, approved substitute dancers in case of my inability to perform due to illness, etc.

smaller restaurants may not go for that, (its not a common practice here in s.d), but i found it helped set a professional tone and put everyone's expectations, clearly, on the table. helps hold the undercutters at bay too ;)

you can google around for performer contracts and modify the language to suit your particular circumstances.

[alyssaraks]

Safira, I've used contracts over here in MS and have a bunch of things spelled out. Let me know if you want to see one. There might be other things to include in it that I hadn't thought of though so do whatever you want to it. Let me know via email.

The ONE restaurant that has booked me twice, I don't make them sign a contract because they're good people, but for the others, they have to.