An interactive diner, which brands itself on its rude waitstaff, is undergoing a “thorough investigation” after a staffer was caught on camera reportedly taking things too far.
A Brisbane family was at the newly opened Karen’s Diner in Westfield Chermside last Sunday when a male waiter accused father Stacey Howard of being a “paedophile” and his 14-year-old daughter Layla of having an OnlyFans account.
OnlyFans is a subscription-based social media platform known for adult content, usually of a sexual manner.
Layla shared a since-deleted TikTok that shows her laughing in shock when the waiter asked if she was on the adult website.
He could be seen approaching the family’s table and giving the middle finger before realising he was being recorded.
“What are you doing?” he asked the young girl. “Doing it for your OnlyFans?”
A furious Mr Howard told The Courier Mailthe waiter also allegedly called his daughter a “tart”.
“My daughter was doing a Facebook Live and this young guy came up and said, “Are you on OnlyFans you tart? – Here’s some content for you,” and he pretended to w**k himself off and j**z on the table,” he told the publication.
The waiter allegedly called Mr Howard a “paedophile” and said he was “keeping it in the family”.
A Karen’s Diner spokesman told news.com.au it has since “wholeheartedly” apologised to the family directly, labelling the incident as “inexcusable”.
“This incident was raised to us directly and we are currently conducting a thorough investigation,” the spokesman said.
“As a venue, we are all about offering a fun experience for all patrons. We have strict guidelines in place for both staff and customers, so we were really disappointed to learn of this incident that occurred on Sunday.”
The venue is well-known for its rude waiters, however the spokesman said the staff member’s actions went against the diner’s brand.
“We have a thorough vetting, training and audit program at Karen’s Diner. The actions of this particular staff member are inexcusable and are against everything we believe in as a brand.”
Mr Howard said he and is family don’t mind a bit of banter and a laugh, but said the waiter’s action got to the point of being “vulgar”.
“My daughter and my mother-in-law were just sitting there dumbfounded. It got that uncomfortable that we just stood up and left,” he told The Courier Mail.
As a result, the diner will be putting tighter training protocols in place “immediately to ensure something like this never happens again”.
