Amsterdam Residents Sue City Over Viral TikTok Chip Shop
Nineteen Amsterdam residents filed a lawsuit against the city to revoke the business license of Fabel Friet due to tourist crowds and pollution.
Nineteen residents of an exclusive Amsterdam neighborhood have filed a lawsuit against the city to challenge the business license of Fabel Friet, a chip shop that gained viral popularity on TikTok. The plaintiffs argue that the shop's limited size forces long queues of tourists onto the narrow Runstraat and Keizersgracht bridge, resulting in litter on private doorsteps and infestations of rats and gulls.
Co-owners Abel Klatser and Floris Feilzer maintain that they employ daily cleaning services to manage the impact. To mitigate the crowds at the original site, the owners have opened four additional locations. Lead plaintiff Niek van der Heijden specifically identified the TikTok-driven queues as the primary source of nuisance for the neighborhood.
A lawyer for the Amsterdam city council stated that Mayor Femke Halsema has the authority to refuse licenses if the residential environment is negatively affected, though the city will wait for a judicial ruling. The case reflects broader tensions over performative tourism and the management of public space in historic districts. A verdict is expected on November 12.
