What happens at Karen's Diner? Customers share their 'cruel' experiences
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In case you haven't heard of it, Karen's Diner is a popular Australian-owned chain of restaurants known for its out-of-the-ordinary approach to serving customers. Inside the restaurant, employees are expected to act in an unprofessional manner and be disrespectful to diners throughout their meals.
Yes, you read that right, and we understand what you're thinking: it's a little strange that some customers are paying to eat in a venue where they are frequently called names and verbally assaulted. (As they say, 'to each their own'...)
While there, customers should expect to be made fun of, but thankfully, the restaurant's management also knows where to draw the line. According to their website, no hate speech, sexual harassment, or discrimination based on a person's race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability will be tolerated.
Vandalism and food tossing is also prohibited, as is insulting people about their bodies or engaging in sexual harassment of any kind.
The rude waitstaff at Karen's Diner is the centrepiece of the interactive experience they provide for diners. Credit: PerthNow.
There are, of course, downsides to this unorthodox approach to customer service: in fact, several customers have already come forward to share the unpleasant and even offensive experiences they had while dining in the restaurant.
One of them is Queenslander Bec Hardgrave, who claimed that even though there are rules in place, the staff crossed the line and targeted her friends for their appearance.
'Me and my friends went to Karen's Diner, and safe to say, I probably won't come back,' she said in the now-viral TikTok clip. 'I know they're paid to be mean to you, but it was a little too hectic. They were making offensive comments about people's appearances.'
'They told my friend she needs to brush her hair; how mean is that? They told my other friend that she was too old, and then they threw cups at us,' she continued.
'They got this other group of older ladies to leave like actually stand up and leave. They said it over the microphone and had an alarm blaring. These ladies actually got up and left, I'm not sure if they paid or not.'
Aside from that, Bec also said that she witnessed a heated argument. One of the staff members allegedly mocked a man's receding hairline, and he understandably took offence.
In the video, the man can be seen yelling at the staff, and there are straws and napkins all over the entrance, which suggests that he may have thrown them.
'What's the one thing your f***ing sign says? No body shaming!' the man argued while pointing to a sign hanging on the wall, implying that the staff members themselves aren't adhering to their own set of rules.
Hundreds of viewers commented on Bec's video, and it's clear that their opinions couldn't be more different from one another. Some people said that the customers should be used to things like this and shouldn't take it personally, while others argued that the wait staff were just having a power trip and went too far.
'You should all know the risks before entering. If you're too soft, don't eat there.' one user wrote in the comments, with another agreeing and adding, 'Do people not understand the concept of this place? If you're going to get offended and mad, don't go. Simple.'
'Isn't that the whole point of the restaurant?' asked a third user, saying, 'People go there knowing what to expect and then complain about it afterwards.'
Karen's Diner serves American diner-style food, like burgers and milkshakes. Credit: PerthNow.
Some users and past customers felt the staff was over the line, and they spoke up about their own negative experiences at Karen's Diner.
'Karen's diner kind of reminds me of the Stanford prison experiment like it started off as a funny little quirky thing and now the staff are on a power trip,' said one user, and their comment amassed tens of thousands of likes.
'I've heard so many stories about them going too far so many times. I think they're just getting a power trip. It literally is a rule, they're not allowed to make fun of your appearance, but they do,' said another.
'They've taken it too far. It's all fun and games until they start emotionally abusing you and tearing you down.'
This wasn't the first time that the restaurant's antics caused quite a public stir, though.
Last month, an employee at the same Brisbane branch was reprimanded for making inappropriate comments regarding a minor customer. According to reports, the waiter accused the girl's father, who was dining with her, of being a paedophile.
After that, a representative said in a statement that this incident violated the company's policies and that they were unhappy with the behaviour of the staff member. But it seems like there haven't been any real changes, and staff members are still verbally harassing customers.
We want to have some peace and quiet when we eat; therefore, we'll be avoiding this kind of customer service. But we also understand that everyone has their own preferences – different strokes for different folks!
What do you think about this kind of restaurant, members? Are you willing to go here just for the out-of-ordinary dining experience? Or is this one a no-go in your book? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Yes, you read that right, and we understand what you're thinking: it's a little strange that some customers are paying to eat in a venue where they are frequently called names and verbally assaulted. (As they say, 'to each their own'...)
While there, customers should expect to be made fun of, but thankfully, the restaurant's management also knows where to draw the line. According to their website, no hate speech, sexual harassment, or discrimination based on a person's race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability will be tolerated.
Vandalism and food tossing is also prohibited, as is insulting people about their bodies or engaging in sexual harassment of any kind.
The rude waitstaff at Karen's Diner is the centrepiece of the interactive experience they provide for diners. Credit: PerthNow.
There are, of course, downsides to this unorthodox approach to customer service: in fact, several customers have already come forward to share the unpleasant and even offensive experiences they had while dining in the restaurant.
One of them is Queenslander Bec Hardgrave, who claimed that even though there are rules in place, the staff crossed the line and targeted her friends for their appearance.
'Me and my friends went to Karen's Diner, and safe to say, I probably won't come back,' she said in the now-viral TikTok clip. 'I know they're paid to be mean to you, but it was a little too hectic. They were making offensive comments about people's appearances.'
'They told my friend she needs to brush her hair; how mean is that? They told my other friend that she was too old, and then they threw cups at us,' she continued.
'They got this other group of older ladies to leave like actually stand up and leave. They said it over the microphone and had an alarm blaring. These ladies actually got up and left, I'm not sure if they paid or not.'
Aside from that, Bec also said that she witnessed a heated argument. One of the staff members allegedly mocked a man's receding hairline, and he understandably took offence.
In the video, the man can be seen yelling at the staff, and there are straws and napkins all over the entrance, which suggests that he may have thrown them.
'What's the one thing your f***ing sign says? No body shaming!' the man argued while pointing to a sign hanging on the wall, implying that the staff members themselves aren't adhering to their own set of rules.
Hundreds of viewers commented on Bec's video, and it's clear that their opinions couldn't be more different from one another. Some people said that the customers should be used to things like this and shouldn't take it personally, while others argued that the wait staff were just having a power trip and went too far.
'You should all know the risks before entering. If you're too soft, don't eat there.' one user wrote in the comments, with another agreeing and adding, 'Do people not understand the concept of this place? If you're going to get offended and mad, don't go. Simple.'
'Isn't that the whole point of the restaurant?' asked a third user, saying, 'People go there knowing what to expect and then complain about it afterwards.'
Karen's Diner serves American diner-style food, like burgers and milkshakes. Credit: PerthNow.
Some users and past customers felt the staff was over the line, and they spoke up about their own negative experiences at Karen's Diner.
'Karen's diner kind of reminds me of the Stanford prison experiment like it started off as a funny little quirky thing and now the staff are on a power trip,' said one user, and their comment amassed tens of thousands of likes.
'I've heard so many stories about them going too far so many times. I think they're just getting a power trip. It literally is a rule, they're not allowed to make fun of your appearance, but they do,' said another.
'They've taken it too far. It's all fun and games until they start emotionally abusing you and tearing you down.'
This wasn't the first time that the restaurant's antics caused quite a public stir, though.
Last month, an employee at the same Brisbane branch was reprimanded for making inappropriate comments regarding a minor customer. According to reports, the waiter accused the girl's father, who was dining with her, of being a paedophile.
After that, a representative said in a statement that this incident violated the company's policies and that they were unhappy with the behaviour of the staff member. But it seems like there haven't been any real changes, and staff members are still verbally harassing customers.
We want to have some peace and quiet when we eat; therefore, we'll be avoiding this kind of customer service. But we also understand that everyone has their own preferences – different strokes for different folks!
What do you think about this kind of restaurant, members? Are you willing to go here just for the out-of-ordinary dining experience? Or is this one a no-go in your book? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
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Why would anyone want to go there ? Doesn’t make any sense to me at all.
, on a grown up , adult perspective on this, what has our society come to when we have feral people like this operating a business like this?!?!?!
