Diners in Fraserburgh are flocking to a local restaurant – to be insulted!
The Captain’s Table on Seaforth Street is almost fully booked for a ‘Karen Night’ event in March where staff are as rude as possible to guests.
The idea, cooked up by restaurant manager Sam Masson, is similar to the Karen’s Diner restaurant chain that has become a TikTok sensation with its cheeky staff and foul-mouthed insults.
But while next month’s Karen Night in Fraserburgh will run at the same time as a Karen’s Diner pop-up just announced in Aberdeen for the first weekend in March, The Captain’s Table promise to bring a unique north-east attitude to its version.
“We want to do the Karen night, but do it our way,” says Sam. “No cutlery on the table and when people ask for it we’ll throw the knives and forks down on the table.”
Sam clearly relishes the prospect of a night where the staff have the greenlight to bully the customers.
After almost three years of a Covid lockdown that closed down hospitality and a post-pandemic surge in grumpy clientele, she’s keen to give people a dressing down – respectfully, of course.
Sam says: “I’m seeing it as payback for us. Everybody that’s complained in the past and we’ve had to put a smile on and go no, no, it’s fine, I’ll fix that for you.
“We don’t have to these two nights. We can just say, no, it’s not fine. If you are going to complain, there’s the door. I’ll hold it for you on the way out.”
When is the Karen’s Night in Fraserburgh and how can I book?
The Captain’s Table Karen Night will run on Thursday March 2 and Friday March 3 from 5pm.
The restaurant is still taking bookings for Thursday but Friday night has sold out as customers immediately took to the tongue-in-cheek concept.
However, Sam can’t understand why people in Fraserburgh are so keen to be insulted.
“I’ve been trying to work that out,” she says. “For me personally, would I enjoy going to a casual restaurant? Probably not. But people just seem to thrive on that kind of thing.”
Whatever the reason, Sam says bookings have never been so heated. The restaurant hopes to run more nights in the future, such is the high demand.
But Sam has some advice for anyone coming next month.
“Just brace yourselves,” she says. “Don’t be surprised of what’s going to come out of people’s mouths. And if you’re easily offended then please don’t come.”
It won’t be the first time customers in the north-east have enjoyed a Karen’s Diner experience.
In August, an enterprising venue in Elgin set up its own version of the bad-service restaurant.
The 156 Bar & Grill sold out a one-night-only event for its own Karen pop-up after seeing the concept online.
Conversation