‘We serve great burgers with very rude service’ is the motto of surprise eaterie sensation Karen’s Diner, which has been wildly successful in the US.
Its USP is abuse: people go to eat and, simultaneously, be insulted, criticised and mocked, often in the most foul language.
It’s a Tiktok phenomenon with the hashtag #Karensdiner attracting 3.8 billion views.
Inspired by the ‘Don’t be a Karen’ phrase – originally intended to call out people on their hostile and entitled reactions but subsequently criticised as misogynistic – the chain was launched by Aden Levin and James Farrel in Australia in 2021.
There are now around 18 branches globally, including ones in Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and Newport in the UK.
Akhila Thomas and Kiran Suryanarayana asked the people of Nottingham how they would feel if a Karen’s Diner opened in the city. Watch here: