This weekend, TikTok sensation Karen’s Diner is hosting a pop-up in Aberdeen.
The restaurant chain has won over social media with its glitzy visuals and – most importantly – staff that treat customers like dirt.
TikTok videos showing Karen’s Diner staff give both barrels to anyone that dares order the vegan dish have racked up millions of views.
Diners, too, seem to love it. You might think it odd that people willingly pay to be shouted at, but Karen’s Diner is one of the UK’s fastest-growing restaurant chains, with seven outlets in England and Wales.
Tomorrow night, Aberdeen will get a taste of the action when the Karen’s On Tour experience hits the city’s Palm Court Hotel.
On Thursday night, however, it was Fraserburgh’s turn to experience the Karen concept. And, as befits the Broch, where people are proud to do things differently, the glitz was left for the big city.
Instead, the wonderful people at family-run restaurant The Captain’s Table were hosting their own take on a Karen service.
And while it may not have been as slick as the official Karen’s Diner, it did not lack in heart – and immense amounts of fun.
Fruity language in Fraserburgh
When I spoke to her a few weeks ago, the ebullient manager of the Captain’s Table Sam Masson was worried she wouldn’t be able to capture the right amount of sneer and sass required of a Karen’s Night.
She needn’t have worried. When I showed up to the restaurant for our booking on Thursday night, Sam was deep in character.
Normally outgoing and friendly, the restaurant manager welcomed my party of four with a grunt.
“You’re late,” she snapped, inserting a four-letter word that can’t be printed in a family newspaper.
In fact, there was a lot of fruity language flying around The Captain’s Table that I can’t repeat here. This article would be twice the length if I did, so just use your imagination.
Same goes for the hats we were forced to wear. Our sailor bunnets were daubed in phrases more suitable to Fraserburgh’s harbourside than a family restaurant.
Luckily, our crack team of pixelators has censored the worst of them.
Giving customers both barrels in Fraserburgh
The idea of a Karen’s Night is to belittle the customers. And as we ordered our starters and mains, the staff did their job perfectly.
“What’s the best kind of chip?” asked a waiter as he brought the main courses over. “A stolen one,” he smirked as he snaffled one off the plate.
Later, when the desserts arrived, one of my party was asked if he wanted ice cream or cream with his cheesecake.
“Both,” he said, only to be immediately hit with: “I knew you’d say that, you greedy b******.”
The evening was peppered with moments like this, greeted by my table with huge laughs.
Our cutlery was chucked on to the table with disdain. The waiters asked us if we needed anything else, then told us they really didn’t care.
Elsewhere in the restaurant, customers were having their own fun with the staff.
Good-natured insults were flying in both directions. Gales of laughter floated around the room, with Sam in the middle pulling the strings.
She’d told me earlier that The Captain’s Table was fully booked for both Karen Nights it was running. All the tables were packed, a pleasing sign in these difficult times.
The food was great, too. Our starters of prawn cocktail and calamari came and went in a hurry.
For the main course, the giant fish and chips was a stand-out success, as was my delicious beef burger and chips.
The desserts were the true stars, however, and we dug deep into the fudge sundae, cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding with gusto, insults ringing in our ears.
Karen in control at The Captain’s Table
At the end, we gathered our stuff and stood up to leave. Sam came over and, in character, asked what was taking us so long.
Suddenly, though, she smiled.
Glancing around to check that no one was watching, she morphed back into her old self and admitted the rude facade was difficult to keep up.
“It goes against everything I’ve been taught to do,” she said, conspiratorially.
But the mask didn’t slip for long.
As we headed out the door, Sam’s drew herself up for one last insult.
“F*** off, then,” she shouted cheerily.
Karen was back, and in control.
