Overview
- Karls opened its first North Rhine‑Westphalia site in Oberhausen on July 22 and the company says about 12,000 people visited on opening day, but visitors have since complained about crowding and a lack of shade in social media posts.
- The Oberhausen location is generating a running public-relations issue after some Google reviews temporarily disappeared and users asked whether the park removed negative ratings; the Karls social‑media team denied any deletions and suggested platform filtering may explain the removals.
- A rule asking guests not to bring their own food or large picnic setups has triggered heated local debate, and founder Robert Dahl has clarified small exceptions such as 0.5‑liter water bottles and baby food while warning that large group buffets strain the free‑entry model.
- Dahl has begun a concrete push to open Karls’ first site outside Germany, saying he has viewed two of seven Mallorca offers, prefers a location around Palma near the airport, and estimates about €35 million and one to two years to build once a plot is chosen, while calling winter seasonality the project’s main risk.
- Karls is using product tests and community campaigns to shape growth — trialing concepts like a ‘Berry Fresh’ barbershop in Rövershagen, asking fans to vote in an industry award through August 10, and stressing local sourcing and year‑round jobs as planning priorities.