A restaurant is preparing its staff for its big opening this week by teaching them how to be rude.

Karen’s Diner has become a viral sensation for verbally abusing and ridiculing its customers.

The diner is now opening in Brighton Marina and staff have been learning how to channel their inner Karen and toe the line between funny and offensive.

Paul Levin, dubbed “The only polite person in Karen’s Diner”, said: “It’s all a state of mind, you have to not care and be thoroughly convinced that you really don’t care. All of a sudden you’re becoming a Karen.

“Everyone can be a Karen, there’s no magic formula. It is a question of getting into character and understanding that once you’re in character you have to be a Karen.

“This is an entertainment experience, we want people to forget about everything but surviving in Karen’s for an hour and a half.”

'Learning to not care is harder than it looks'

When I walked into Karen's Diner I had a rough idea of what I was expecting having seen videos of customers' experiences on Tiktok.

It turns out that being a Karen is so much more difficult than it looks.

Having previously worked in hospitality, the overriding impulse was to smile and be cheerful, something I was quickly trained out of.

In truth, being a Karen is tough. There is a lot that goes into what you see on social media.

I am excited to come back to my normal side of the diner.

The Argus: Reporter Patrick Barlow at Karen's DinerReporter Patrick Barlow at Karen's Diner (Image: Andrew Gardner | The Argus)

As part of their training, prospective Karens learn how to abuse customers but, at the same time, not be offensive.

While the staff are taught to just not care about the customers, they are also told that offensive jokes about racism, sexism and other issues are off the table.

Staff are trained to be “rude, funny but not offensive” with customers expecting a fun experience.

Karen’s Diner has become a social media success with videos of customers getting ribbed and ridiculed receiving millions of views on TikTok.

As well as traditional American diner food, customers can expect to have their menus thrown on the floor and to be chastised for anything from being vegan to wanting a fork.

The restaurant chain began in Australia but now has restaurants across America and the UK.

Karen’s Diner opens for its soft launch on Saturday, August 12, before a full opening on Sunday, August 13.