The final Karen’s Diner in the UK will close its doors at the end of June, marking the end of two years in operation.
The White Lion Street location in London’s Islington, operated under a franchise agreement, is closing following a decision earlier this year not to renew its lease.
Karen’s Diner became famous for its intentionally rude staff, with viral TikTok clips showing waiters playfully insulting customers amassing millions of views.
In a statement, Karen’s Diner said it had “enjoyed being rude to thousands of its customers,” but cited “the additional burden” of rising fixed costs, including business rates, as the reason for closing its final London location.
The closure follows the liquidation of Karen’s Diner’s parent company, Viral Ventures UK Ltd, which occurred last year.
A statement from the franchise owner said: “People don’t understand how hard it is to run both a restaurant and a theatre simultaneously, especially in such fierce trading conditions.”
A spokesperson for the Karen’s Diner brand added: “We want to thank the restaurant manager and all of his team for all of their hard work delivering great entertainment night after night.'
Karen’s Diner was launched in Sydney, Australia, in 2021 by themed events company Viral Ventures Global, and expanded to the UK in 2022 with its first restaurants in Sheffield, Manchester, and Birmingham.
The brand continued its rapid growth into 2023, opening additional locations in London’s Islington and Barnet, as well as in Brighton.
The Brighton branch closed in March last year after police discovered traces of cocaine in the toilets, including on a baby changing table.
Karen’s Diner in Dublin appears to be the brand’s last remaining restaurant in the UK and Ireland.
Karen’s stated it has shifted away from permanent locations to concentrate on pop-up events and is currently searching for venues in southern England.
