A group of residents from Amsterdam’s Negen Straatjes shopping district are taking the city council to court to challenge the operating permit for Fabel Friet, a Tik-Tok-fueled French fry outlet which draws hundreds of customers a day, the Parool reported on Friday.
The group, made up of 20 long-time residents and supported by dozens more, argues that the constant crowd of tourists is damaging the quality of life in the area. “It’s not the shop’s fault — a business wants to make money,” Dick van Dam (86), who has lived in the neighbourhood for 45 years, told the paper. “But the city refuses to intervene.”
Opened in 2020, Fabel Friet shot to fame thanks to videos showcasing its fries topped with Parmesan cheese and truffle mayonnaise. Hundreds of people flock to the shop every day, and the owners have set up a special queuing system and security to try to keep order.
But the queue is there seven says a week, local Dingeman Coumou (74), told the Parool “They block pavements and turn the crossing into a hazard.”
Fabel Friet co-owners Abel Klatser and Floris Feilzer say they are doing all they can to reduce disruption, including opening two new branches to spread demand. The shop, they argue has become a scapegoat for wider frustrations about tourism. “Not everyone in line is here came to Amsterdam just for our fries,” Feilzer told the paper.
The city council extra conditions to the shop’s permit renewal last year — including a rule that one cash register must close if more than ten people queue outside. Fabel Friet challenged that in court and won, but claims it still voluntarily complies.
The court is expected to rule at the end of June on whether the permit extension was granted lawfully.
