LOGAN TWP. – Kevin Bethea has made a full-time job out of putting smiles on everyone’s faces.

The 40-year old Sicklerville resident has been performing strolling magic for many years and his show has made a tremendous impact on business at the Holiday Inn Select in Bridgeport.

"Usually there is a slight drop-off of business during the summer, but not this year," said General Manager Rhone Carr. "We have increased business and we think we hit a niche market that other hotels and restaurants have not."

Bethea performs at the Atrium Café, the hotel’s restaurant, Saturday evenings during the prime rib and crab legs buffet. Carr said this has boosted business by nearly 25 percent this summer. The hotel has also hired Jack the Balloon Man, who has become a hit at the hotel creating various balloon sculptures for guests during the Friday night buffets.

"People do come back to see the magic as well as have a great dinner," Bethea said. "Who can turn down all-you-can-eat crab legs?"

The response has been enormous.

"The magic I do is very clean and good for not only kids, but adults as well," Bethea said. "As a matter of fact the adults enjoy it as much as the kids do."

The prime rib night generally attracts about 150 guests, but Carr said the Atrium Café has seen more than 200 since the addition of Bethea’s entertainment.

Food and beverages sold within the hotel equal nearly 40 percent of its total business.

Bethea has a degree in computer science and has had a passion for magic since he was a young boy and now performs strolling magic full-time.

He is an award-winning magician and enjoys this particular form of magic because it is intimate – using each individual dinner table as a stage.

"When I can put a smile on a kid’s face or move, touch and inspire somebody, it’s just the greatest feeling in the world," he said.

The hotel’s strategies target families in the area-especially because of the county’s rapid growth rate.

"They’re both very good at what they do," Carr said. "Kevin is phenomenal. He will blow your mind. And Jack makes all kinds of crazy things with the balloons."

The hotel employs 125 and is owned and operated by Pureland Inn inc. It has been ranked the number one Holiday Inn of the Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey region for six consecutive years and is the leading full-service hotel in Gloucester County.

For more information on the hotel, visit www.bridgeportnj.hiselect.com or call 856-467-3322

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