'Karen goes red': Entitled hotel guest throws tantrum about delayed breakfast start time, worker maliciously complies and turns other guests against her

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 16, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

No one should expect much from a standard continental breakfast at a run-down hotel. Unfortunately, this Karen did not manage her expectations and decided to stir up a fuss, leaving an overworked hotel worker no choice but to enact some much-needed malicious compliance. 

This worker was often held responsible for preparing breakfast first thing in the morning so it was ready by 6:00 am when a group of construction workers and local hunters were typically among the first wave of diners. These groups understood that occasionally things were delayed and breakfast would begin five or so minutes late because of other matters. Well, everyone seemed to understand that except this one entitled Karen. She threw a tantrum and got the hotel manager to reprimand the worker for not having breakfast begin exactly at 6:00 am. Exactly, you say? Cue malicious compliance!

Keep scrolling below for the full saga and for the Karen's reaction to it all. For more, check out this story about another Karen hotel guest's tantrum.

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  • 01
    "Karen wants her breakfast"
    via Edwin Petrus
  • 02
    I work at a hotel, I'm on the graveyard shift and we have a continental breakfast from 6-9, and my shift ends at 7 so I'm in charge of setting up the breakfast.
    via anna12o
  • 03
    It's not a big deal, it's a smallish hotel and a small breakfast, but we do have waffles and a couple of waffle makers. Basically guests come in, they get their batter out of a dispenser and make their waffles so they're fresh and hot.
    via anna12o
  • 04
    We have two seasons where I live, winter and construction season, and we get work crews that stay at the hotel on the boss's dime and then go out for whatever job they're working on, and we very
    via anna12o
  • 05
    frequently get this one crew of guys. They're mostly Mexican, and they're great guys, they're polite and they don't leave the breakfast room a mess, but their shifts start super early in the morning. We
    via anna12o
  • 06
    also get hunters who are in and out before 6, so I usually have everything set up by 5:30 for them. I say usually because I'm only human, sometimes I'm running late, it happens, but I'm never more than 5 minutes after 6. The workers and the hunters
    via anna12o
  • 07
    are super chill about it, they get it and don't complain about waiting a couple of extra minutes. I also feel the need to add that the foreman is amongst them, so he's eating when they are.
    via anna12o
  • 08
    So, one day I'm running a little late, I got caught up with what I was doing and kinda lost track of time, so I was rushing to get everything set up while the guys are patiently waiting in the lobby.
    via anna12o
  • 09
    In enters Karen, who sees the time, sees the breakfast isn't ready, and decides to yell at me for it, saying that the sign says breakfast is from 6-9 and should be started exactly at 6. I tried to
    via anna12o
  • 10
    keep working while talking to her so I could get the breakfast ready, but she decided that was ro, so I had to stop what I was doing and stand there with her yelling at me
    via anna12o
  • 11
    until she ran out of breath and I could finish setting up. Karen complains to the manager, I get a verbal warning that I have to have breakfast open by 6 as I was about 15 minutes behind because Karen was yelling at me when I would have been less than 4 if she'd let finish. me f
    via anna12o
  • 12
    Well, Karen was a stayover, and she was in the next day before 6. The manager refunded part of her stay under guest satisfaction, and I think she was hoping to find me
    via anna12o
  • 13
    doing something wrong so she could get another refund, but I was on my game and had everything set up by 5:30 like usual. She came in before the workers and saw me sitting at the front desk and sneered about me
    via anna12o
  • 14
    being lazy when I should be setting up breakfast. I told her the breakfast was already ready to go as the construction workers are entering, but I stand and walk
    via anna12o
  • 15
    over to block the doorway to the breakfast room and told them that I couldn't let them in because the manager said I had to start the breakfast at exactly 06:00, so I couldn't let them back until then, and as I'm saying this I'm looking
    via anna12o
  • 16
    directly at Karen. Slowly heads turn and Karen goes red, and mutters something about coming back later, and leaves, so I let the guys back.
    via anna12o
  • 17
    They said it was funny, and like I said, the workers have had to wait a little after six before with no problem, and the foreman was there. To be clear, if I thought this stunt was going to cost them their
    via anna12o
  • 18
    breakfast I never would have done it, but I knew that wasn't gonna be a problem. I didn't see Karen again, so either she didn't come back, or she returned after I left, but either way I didn't hear another word from the manager about it.
    via anna12o
  • 19
    You want your breakfast at 6? You're gonna get your breakfast at 6!
    via anna12o
  • 20
    dharmon555 · 1 day ago The first time I went to a hotel as a child, I remember them saying there would be a free continental breakfast in the morning. I didn't
    via anna12o
  • 21
    know what a continental breakfast was, but it sure sounded a whole lot fancier than any normal breakfast. I had visions of a vast buffet of gourmet foods. The reality was some raspberry danish and a
    via anna12o
  • 22
    miniature box of rice crispies. 633 Reply Share
    via anna12o
  • 23
    Ice-_-Bear 1 day ago Oh how the turntables
    via anna12o
  • 24
    WeirdSelection 1 day ago A great MC. Its even better when done to a Karen.
    via anna12o

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