During a court hearing on Tuesday morning, lead plaintiff Niek van der Heijden pointed to the lack of interior space as the root of the disruption, stating that the business takes place entirely on the street through waiting, ordering, and eating, as residents in Amsterdam have taken the city to court over the operating licence of Fabel Friet, a viral chip shop on Runstraat whose long TikTok queues have brought neighbourhood complaints regarding litter and blocked canal bridges.
Residents Sue Amsterdam Over Fabel Friet Licence
The lawsuit targets the Amsterdam city council rather than the business itself. Plaintiffs argue that the municipality failed to properly weigh residents’ interests when issuing the operating permit for the small takeaway premises.
“We are in a kind of war where a very unwelcome chip shop has polluted the whole area,”
Thomas van Leeuwen, local resident via The Guardian
Representing the municipality, a lawyer for the city council acknowledged that Mayor Femke Halsema holds the authority to deny licences if a business damages the residential and living environment
. While the representative noted that the chip shop complies with litter and queue rules, she added that the impact remains severe after a long duration.
Owners Defend Operations in Court
Co-owners Abel Klatser and Floris Feilzer defended their operations by highlighting extensive mitigation efforts. The business employs a cleaning service four times daily across all seven days of the week, and visitor numbers at the original location dropped by 23% in August following the opening of four newer branches across Amsterdam.
“Standing in court now hits us hard,”
Floris Felizer, co-owner of Fabel Friet via Nltimes
Their lawyer, Gertjan Teeuwen, told the court that although some neighbours encounter disruptions, many other people enjoy eating chips amid normal operational peaks and troughs. While some neighbors have raised concerns, many others enjoy our fries,
said their lawyer, Gertjan Teeuwen.
Study Links Queues to Lower Property Values
Academic research published by PhD candidate Rosa van der Drift in the Regional Studies journal indicates that homes situated within 500 metres of the shop sold for an average of 4.9 percent less than comparable properties without nearby queues in Amsterdam’s De 9 Straatjes. Within 70 metres, that price difference widened to 11.4 percent according to TU Delft data.
Lisa-Bobbie Kamp, representing local residents, argued that historic streets were not designed for such massive crowds, while University of Amsterdam PhD student Marije Peute noted that long-standing retail stores have lost local clients who avoid the congested area altogether.
Judge Urges Compromise Before Final Ruling
The presiding judge urged both sides to seek common ground before issuing a ruling within 6 weeks, specifically addressing the older licensing terms while separate challenges to current permit conditions remain pending. The judge urged both sides to find common ground, reminding the residents of the Dutch saying that a good neighbour is better than a distant friend.
“I don’t think we were thinking about annoying the neighbours, but it makes sense.”
Natalie Stübben via The Guardian