Almost 50% Of People Think This Is The Worst 'Karen' Behavior At Restaurants - Mashed Survey
Nobody wants to be a restaurant "Karen." After all, this behavior is bound to get your image smeared across social media and earn you an impressive collection of critical comments. Why, then, are so many people still acting in a Karen-like fashion, spewing hateful words and oozing with self-entitlement in public dining spaces? Is it because they are unaware of what is and isn't considered acceptable behavior? Perhaps it's high time someone explained what constitutes a "Karen" restaurant move.
What are some of the customer habits restaurant servers hate most? It appears that there are many. Fox News examined Reddit and deduced that servers hate it when customers "stack the plates into a monolithic pile," adding that it hinders rather than helps. Delish contends that using cutesy nicknames like "sweetie" or "sugar" are highly annoying to your server. When BuzzFeed examined their comments to a previous story, they discovered that servers hate when someone wants their meal in an instant, adding that people who are running late shouldn't stop for food. And when Redditor u/alotlesspersonal asked waiters and waitresses, "What's the worst thing patrons do that we might not realize?" the number one comment was people who leave their diabetes testing needles on their plates. And a recent survey conducted by Mashed yielded an equally surprising set of results.
Survey respondents echoed a Judge Judy adage
So, what is the biggest thing restaurants servers want you to stop doing? For years, fans have heard Judge Judy utter one of her most memorable adages, "If you eat the steak, you pay for it," which is often followed by something like, "You don't eat it all and then say you hated it and refuse to pay, you fool!" (via Twitter). When Mashed posed the question, "What's the worst 'Karen' behavior at restaurants?," the number one response echoed the judge's sentiments. Of the 500 respondents, almost half (48.58%) said the most atrocious offense was "Demanding a refund after eating all of your food." The second most loathed "Karen" action was ranting at the employees with 27.71% of the votes, while not leaving a tip came in third with 11.19%.
It seems that the folks on Reddit share this opinion. When u/throwaway1379 asked, "Can I legally refuse to pay for terrible food?" the top response was "If you ate it, you are obligated to pay for it. Upon tasting it and finding it not to your liking, you are welcome to refuse it." Seriously, if there was something wrong with the food, why did you lick your plate clean rather than send the offending item back?
Paying close attention to this list of unacceptable behaviors is sage advice for someone who wants to avoid being a restaurant "Karen" — or winding up on the wrong side of Judge Judy.