While some people can’t wait to eat at Karen’s Diner, also known as the world’s rudest restaurant, which is slated to open a pop-up in Singapore next year, it seems that others can’t wait to work there.
And Singapore, after all, has no shortage of Karens, as this Singapore Incidents photo shows, inclining Badge Lady Phoon Chui Yoke and ‘Hwa Chong’ woman Catherine Beow Tan, plus various other “aunties” you and I may have come across.
Elsewhere, “Karen” is code for a middle-aged privileged white woman, who is rude, entitled, and demanding, and an Australian F&B chain ran away with the concept, with eateries that promised “great burgers and rude service.”
But is the Singapore Karen just a grown-up version of Ah Lian?
There are Karen’s Diners now in multiple locations in the United Kingdom as well as Australia.
And if you’re curious about what being a customer at Karen’s Diner is like, you’re not alone. This video about a couple’s experience at the eatery has been viewed over 66 million times.
@xixiplease Part 2 gets better lol #karensdiner #karensdinerau
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
And one Singaporean woman recently posted an audition tape to work as one of the “Karens” on TikTok.
Having donned the red and white colours of the wait staff, Ms Shiny Phua wrote, “hi karen’s diner, please notice me, i wanna be a #sgkaren.”
@shinyphua hi karen’s diner, please notice me, i wanna be a #sgkaren kthxbye #fypsg #karensdinersingapore #karensdiner #singapore #auditiontape
Her audition is in Singlish at its finest, drawing comments from netizens.
One commenter, however, said she was more “Ah Lian” than “Karen.”
Funny Punjabi Guy did a couple of takes on what Singapore Karens would be like on his account, writing, “Maybe I should get a job there!”
@funnypunjabiguy Maybe I should get a job there! #tiktok #fyp #karensdiner
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
@funnypunjabiguy Replying to @𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 🍕 part 2 of me working at Karen’s diner! #tiktok #fyp #karensdiner #pov
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
“Karens is an interactive diner and an absurdly fun experience. At Karens you will be greeted and waited upon by rude waiters who in return are expecting you to give it full sass. A place where you can complain until the cows come home because we literally don’t care,” the company’s site says.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the company had chosen Singapore as the location for its pop-up store in Asia for mid-year 2023, although additional details have yet to be released.
Although there’s no confirmed date yet when the store will open, interested parties can already join the waitlist at Explore Hidden’s website. /TISG