A day working at Karen’s Diner: ‘Everyone at the table looks at me with a mixture of disgust and abject pity'

Since Karen’s Diner opened in Dublin earlier this year, customers have had the chance to experience service without a smile. Here’s what happened when our writer brushed up on her insults and pulled on an apron for a shift at the rudest restaurant in town...

A day working at Karen’s Diner

Kirsty Blake Knox

As I arrive at Karen’s Diner, a man is being marched out the front door. A woman shouts through a megaphone while pointing to a list of rules taped to the door. This man has broken one of the statutes of Karen’s Diner and so must stand outside until he learns the error of his ways. “Do you understand that, you p**ck?” the waiter barks before returning inside.

The first Irish branch of Karen’s Diner opened on O’Connell Street in February. The MO here is service without a smile. In fact, the waiting staff are actively encouraged to be hostile towards diners.