When Karens Attack: How One Restaurant Crew Served Up the Loudest ProRevenge Ever
If you've ever worked in a restaurant, you know the universal truth: The customer isn’t always right—sometimes, they’re spectacularly, jaw-droppingly wrong. But what happens when the customer is another restaurant employee, strutting in with a badge of entitlement and a thirst for special treatment? Let’s just say, sometimes, karma comes with a side of cake and a chorus so loud, your ears will ring for a decade.
Buckle up, because today’s tale from r/ProRevenge is equal parts vindication, hilarity, and a masterclass in standing up for your team. Spoiler: There’s a birthday song so loud, it could wake the dead—and maybe even scare a Karen into changing her ways.
Word-of-Mouth, Not Word-of-Mouthy
Our story begins in 2015 at a restaurant that thrived on reputation alone—no flashy ads, just good food and even better word-of-mouth. The narrator, working her way through nursing school as a waitress, had earned her stripes and was now trusted to help new servers navigate the wild world of food service.
Enter: the new guy. Shy, nervous, and fresh off training wheels, he faced his first real test—a table of six 20-somethings led by a woman with more attitude than empathy. She immediately began demanding off-menu items, claiming “the other location does it all the time,” and micromanaging every step of service. Our narrator, ever the supportive coworker, quietly slotted his other tables into her own section and braced her fellow server for what looked like a tipless disaster.
But the real kicker? This ringleader wasn’t just any customer. She was a trainer from another location, and she made sure everyone knew it. With every new demand, every sneer and insult, she made the poor waiter feel more and more inadequate—all while expecting to stack employee discounts and score free birthday cakes for her “multiple birthdays” at the table.
The Gloves Come Off
This wasn’t the time for passive-aggressive smiles. When our narrator learned just who this demanding customer was—and saw the new guy on the verge of quitting—she kicked her plan into high gear. First, she consulted the manager (who, in a rare twist for restaurants, was actually awesome). Not only did the boss greenlight a little “special treatment,” but he also took charge of the impending employee discount drama and began making phone calls to the other location.
Meanwhile, our narrator rallied every available staff member—servers, kitchen crew, even the dishwasher. The mission? Deliver the most over-the-top, ear-splitting, soul-shaking rendition of the restaurant’s birthday song that anyone had ever heard.
Birthday Revenge, Served Hot
Picture it: Six smug diners, free cakes all around, and suddenly, a tidal wave of staff descends. They line up, grinning, and unleash the loudest, most enthusiastic birthday song in restaurant history. The corner booth turned echo chamber, every note bouncing back, every chord a little less musical and a little more… vengeful. Diners clapped hands over their ears, their faces dropping from smug to shell-shocked.
But the real cherry on top? While the staff was serenading (screaming) at the table, the manager was on the phone with the customer’s boss. No discounts for her, no special treatment—just a call to explain how their “trainer” behaved when she thought she was untouchable. The narrator watched as the ringleader was handed the phone at the host stand, her bravado melting into tears and excuses. But the decision had been made. The general manager already knew, her employee number was noted, and her reign of terror was over—at least at that restaurant.
Lessons in Loudness
It’s easy to forget how tough service work is, especially when you’re a “pro” who should know better. But this story is more than just a satisfying tale of comeuppance; it’s a reminder that kindness matters, especially to those just starting out. The staff didn’t just protect one of their own—they showed that even in food service, there’s a line nobody gets to cross.
Next time you’re tempted to pull the “I know the owner” card or demand the moon and stars because you work in the industry, remember: you might just get a birthday song you’ll never forget.
Have a wild restaurant revenge story of your own? Drop it in the comments—we want to hear your best tales of serving up justice, one plate (or birthday cake) at a time!
Original Reddit Post: You want special treatment? I would love to!