Austin just got Scary.

The Scary Guy, the anti-hatred motivational speaker, came to town Friday afternoon. By Saturday morning, he had already charmed staff at Perkins restaurant, causing conversation and laughter at more than one table.

“It’s really good to be here,” Scary said Saturday morning.

Scary met with local residents and leaders before going to work Monday at Austin High School as part of 12-day stint educating students, parents and community members about bullying.

Some students had the chance to meet Scary, as he dropped by the Community Against Bullying teen dance Friday night.

“They gravitated towards him,” said Danielle Borgerson-Nesvold, CAB chairwoman.

Students aren’t the only people who have stopped by. Though Scary hasn’t been out on the town much, he said a mother stopped him at Hy-Vee to tell him how wonderful his appearance is.

“She said she was really, really glad I was in town,” Scary said.

Scary will work with each Austin school at least one day over the next two weeks, teaching students about the destructive nature of bullying and how they can change the bullying climate. He will also hold two community meetings, one at AHS from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 and one at Ellis Middle School from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 9. He’ll also hold many one-on-one meetings with residents to discuss bullying in Austin.

Though Scary may be his name, he encourages people to speak to him if they see him around town, as he’ll be living here with his wife Cathryn for the next two weeks. He hopes more people come talk to him than the handful he’s met thus far.

“Maybe they’re a little shy,” he said grinning.