CULTURAL NOTES | If It’s Half Full, It’s Empty

I recently overheard a manager at Napier Quarter training a new team member.

He pointed at the water glasses on a diner’s table and said,

“If it’s half full, it’s empty.”

He wasn’t talking about the glass itself so much as the attention behind it. The idea was simple: a guest should never have to ask for water. If you notice the glass is halfway down, refill it before they notice it themselves.

That sentence stayed with me. Over the years I’ve found that the places that care about something as small as the water level usually have thought about everything else to, the pacing of service, the light on the table, the draft from a nearby door. A full glass of water becomes a quiet signal that someone is looking after you.

I’ve borrowed the rule for my own table at home. When friends come over I notice their cups the way that manager noticed his diners’. If it’s half full, it’s empty. A quick top-up feels like a small but certain way to show care.

This drawing is for that thought. A note for anyone who hosts: sometimes the best service rule you can keep is one you overhear.