‘Hectic’: Man lashes out at Karen’s Diner staff in Brisbane for alleged ‘cruel joke’

An outraged customer has been filmed in a heated outburst at a Brisbane restaurant after staff allegedly made fun of his hair.

A woman has caught the intense moment an angry customer lashes out at restaurant staff after they allegedly made fun of his receding hairline.

Queensland health coach Bec Hardgrave shared the shocking altercation on her TikTok page, where it rapidly went viral – racking up over 1.3 million views in a matter of hours.

She began the video by explaining how she visited a Brisbane branch of the famous Karen’s Diner – a chain of restaurants that pride themselves on their “rude service” and “non-existent manners”, where staff go to great lengths to act in an unprofessional manner.

While patrons can expect to be made fun of, there are limitations – no racist, sexist, homophobic or ableist comments or slurs are allowed, according to their website.

The rules also state there will be no body shaming or sexual harassment, and vandalism and food throwing will not be tolerated.

However, Bec claims in her video that the staff did not adhere to these rules and targeted her friends for their appearance.

Bec claims they made fun of her friend's hair, while they told another friend she was "too old". Picture: TikTok / Bec Hardgrave

They put a paper bag over one of the customer's head. Picture: TikTok / Bec Hardgrave

“Me and my friends went to Karen’s Diner, and safe to say I probably won’t come back,” she began.

“I know they’re paid to be mean to you, but it was a little too hectic. They were making offensive comments about people’s appearances.

“They told my friend she needs to brush her hair, how mean is that. They told my other friend that she was too old and threw cups at us.

“They got this other group of older ladies to leave, like actually stand up and leave. They said it over the microphone and had an alarm blaring.

“These ladies actually got up and left, I’m not sure if they paid or not.”

After saying that the food was just “OK”, Bec went on to talk about the incident she witnessed with a male customer.

She claims the staff made fun of the man’s receding hairline – and it did not go well.

“Get this, they told this guy that he had a receding hairline, and this is what he did.”

The man was seen yelling at a member of staff. Picture: TikTok / Bec Hardgrave

Bec claims they made fun of his 'receding hairline'. Picture: TikTok / Bec Hardgrave

The red-faced man can be seen yelling at staff, while a pile of straws and napkins lay all over the entrance, suggesting he may have thrown them on the ground in a fit of rage.

“What’s the one thing your f**king sign says? No body shaming!” he screams, while pointing to a sign hanging on the wall.

Bec’s followers were torn on the situation, with many stating that they thought that this type of experience is to be expected, while others believed the restaurant staff took it “too far”.

“You should all know the risks before entering. If you’re too soft, don’t eat there.” one said.

“Do people not understand the concept on this place? If you’re going to get offended and mad, don’t go. Simple.” another wrote.

The restaurant has rules for how far people can go. Picture: Karen's Diner

“Isn’t that the whole point of the restaurant?” asked a follower.

“People go there knowing what to expect and then complain about it afterwards.”

Others thought the staff were out of line, and shared their own alleged experiences at Karen’s Diner.

“Karen’s diner kind of reminds me of the Stanford prison experiment, like it started off a funny little quirky thing and now the staff on a power trip.” one commented.

“This restaurant is a mess, it’s not even about being a Karen it’s literally bullying,” said another.

Members of staff are paid to act in an unprofessional manner. Picture: Instagram / Karen's Diner

“I’ve heard so many stories about them going too far so many times. I think they’re just getting a power trip.”

“It literally is a rule, they’re not allowed to make fun of your appearance, but they do,” one said.

“They’ve taken it too far. It’s all fun and games until they start emotionally abusing you and tearing you down.”

“They literally called me bulimic when I ordered dessert” one person alleged.

“I saw them spray someone’s face with windex. Walked out after that.” another claimed.

News.com.au reached out to Karen’s Diner for comment.