Karen's Diner, the restaurant where diners pay for staff to be rude to them, is heading off on tour across the countryafter going viral for its colourful service.
Locals may well have already visited its Sheffield branch, where the staff are famously paid to be rude to you, and - if you dare - you are welcome to be rude back.
Those of us in Leeds have waited a long time for Karen's to turn up here, with the diner originally set to pop up following its launch in Sheffield at the start of last year. However, sadly the plans never came to fruition.
We were teased once again this spring with the promise of a Leeds visit after news sources reported that Karen's Diner would be stopping off in the city as part of its UK tour.
The date has since been removed from the Karen's Diner tour website, suggesting that the Leeds tour date has been cancelled.
However, it's not all bad news - because whilst Karen's may no longer be coming to our fair city, it will be popping up down the road in nearby Hull with a special bottomless service.
The description for the tour on Karen's website reads: "The wait is over, catch up with your Karen’s over cocktails, scrumptious grub and plenty of banter.
"Spill the goss and share the details as you tell your mates all about the office drama with your boss and Sally from HQ.. because we all know you’ve been dying to get that one off your chest, Karen."
The service at Karen's is notoriously poor, but the food promises to be five-star. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
With tickets for the Hull date priced from £39.99, the event description reads as follows: "We're coming to town on tour and well if y'all show up in force we'll either come as a longer term pop up or simply just stay put for a while until we've insulted everyone in Hull.
"At our pop-up Karen's you will be greeted and waited upon by rude waiters who in return are expecting you to give it full Karen. A place where you can complain until the cows come home because we literally don't care.
"You can expect good food, good fun and a dining experience like you've never had before. Let us know if it's your birthday, if your name is Karen and for the love of Karen don't ask to speak to the manager....
"Your ticket includes a Main Meal and Dessert and BOTTOMLESS drinks as well as select soft drinks drinks for a full 90mins."
"You will get full and authentic Karen experience - our games, our waitstaff and the full works. Decent food was provided by the venue (we hope) and BOTTOMLESS booze for those who love a drink.
"This is a dining experience like no other - literally. Come enjoy the OG Karen's from OG Karen's."
The tour will also see the rude diner stopping off at various cities across the UK and Europe, including Amsterdam, Isle of Man, Yarmouth, Newcastle, Portsmouth and Middlesborough.
To find out more and book dates for the Hull pop-up, which will run from 23 to 25 June, visit the Karen's On Tour website here.
In another hit to the high streets, Claire's Accessories is shutting up shop across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration yet again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire's will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire's closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded in America way back in 1961, Claire's has enjoyed a presence across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they've struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They filed for bankruptcy in the US in August 2025 after having already concluded operations in Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
For many, the outcome isn't all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
You can now take a mini cruise from Hull to Amsterdam for just £65
Daisy Jackson
Did you know you can fall asleep in the UK and wake up in the Netherlands, with tickets that are cheaper than a train to London?
There are mini cruises to Amsterdam and Rotterdam running year-round, with tickets from just £65 a head.
These bargain mini breaks give you a chance to experience a holiday on the high seas and a brilliant city break in one.
And the best part is that you can have a two-night adventure using only one day of annual leave.
We went along on a P&O Ferries mini cruise to see what it’s all about.
Images: The Manc Group
Your holiday begins just outside Hull, a short train ride away from Leeds, swiftly boarding your ferry by 7pm (a MUCH quicker process than boarding a plane).
Each passenger is greeted by P&O staff who’ll show you to your cabin.
There are various sizes of cabin available – ours were the Premier Cabins, with a modern interior, two single beds and an en suite bathroom.
Although the P&O ferry that runs to the Netherlands is a little smaller than the huge passenger vessels sailing around the Caribbean, there’s still a surprising amount of entertainment on board, from interactive quizzes to a casino to live acoustic musicians in the sky lounge to a full show in the showlounge.
There are also a few restaurants and bars, including a Costa, an Irish pub and a decent cocktail bar, alongside the main buffet restaurant.
Image: The Manc Group
Once you’ve tired yourself out on board and hit the hay, you’ll be ready to wake up in the land of tulips and canals and bicycles.
The ferry docks in Rotterdam, where you can spend the day, or there are coaches ready to whisk you off to Amsterdam.
It’s surprising how much you can pack into a day in this vibrant city – start with a wander down some of the canals, grab a portion of Dutch fries loaded with parmesan and sauces, visit one of Amsterdam’s many museums, spend an hour on a canal boat tour seeing the city from the waterways, and grab a cocktail before embarking on your return journey.
The coach drops you within walking distance of the city centre and all of the must-visit attractions of Amsterdam, whether you’re after stroopwaffels or coffee shops or a visit to Anne Frank’s house.
After another night on the ferry, and a whole new buffet, you’ll dock back on home turf first thing in the morning, and can comfortably be back at your desk before the work day even begins.
You can find out more about P&O mini cruises to Amsterdam HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
18th May 2023 
