This article highlights the superstition surrounding discussing a 'quiet close' in restaurants. Employees believe that mentioning how quiet the establishment is before officially closing can attract unexpected customers. An anecdote illustrates this belief with a cook discussing a peaceful night only to have numerous patrons arrive shortly after. Such occurrences reinforce the idea that even casual remarks can disrupt the tranquility of a closing shift, leading to the humorous maxim: never talk about a quiet close until the restaurant is shut down.
Having a quiet close is like pitching a no-hitter. No one says anything about it, or people will come in and ruin it.
Just a few days ago, one of the cooks was dropping off some stuff at the dish pit about half an hour before the kitchen usually closes and mentioned, 'It was so quiet today, we'll start bringing up the kitchen soon.' She comes back not 5 minutes later: '8 people just walked in.' NEVER, EVER SAY THE Q-WORD BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN!
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