"We Can't Live Like This Because of a Fry Shop": The Tragedy of a Hotspot Ruined by Algorithms

An alley in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A long line of people stretches down the street. What these people are waiting for is neither a famous art museum nor a historic landmark. It is french fries—from "Fabel Friet," which shot to viral fame on social media. For such a renowned shop, one might expect the surrounding commercial district to thrive and property values to rise. However, a study revealed that homes within 70 meters of the shop sold for over 10% less than comparable properties elsewhere. What happened after a single fry shop went viral?

01. It Started on TikTok

Fabel Friet opened its doors in August 2020, but scenes like the current one began emerging in earnest around 2022. As videos showing fries smothered in generous layers of cheese and proof-of-visit clips spread across TikTok and Instagram, tourists began pouring in. Visitors from around the world flocked to this narrow alley to taste the food they saw on social media and capture photos and videos at the exact same spot. This gave rise to what local media have dubbed the "TikTok queue".

The problem lies in this narrow alley. The location is not an expansive tourist site capable of accommodating hundreds of people in line. The shop's interior is also small, forcing customers to both wait and eat out on the street. The popularity of a tiny shop has spilled over into the entire alley.

02. "The Entire Street Feels Like a Fry Shop"
Residents are grappling with far more than just one or two issues. Tourists sit on front doorsteps or block narrow sidewalks, entangling pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. Complaints from residents have mounted over discarded containers, leftover sauce, litter on the streets, flocking seagulls, and even rat infestations. It is no longer about how the food tastes; the shop itself has become a symbol of conflict.

03. The Shop Hasn't Sat Idly By

The shop has not been completely idle either. It employs dedicated staff to manage the line and prevent tourists from blocking nearby doorsteps and entrances. It also cleans the surrounding street four times a day. To tackle the seagull problem, it even deployed a hawk for a time. To disperse crowds, it opened additional branches in other areas. Still, the inconvenience experienced by residents has not subsided.

04. The City's Proposed Solution: "No More Than 10 in Line"

In 2024, the City of Amsterdam attempted to cap the number of people waiting outside the shop at a maximum of 10. The city reasoned that shortening the line would ease residents' discomfort. Fabel Friet took the matter to court, questioning why a 10-person limit was necessary when the business already operated a separate waiting area and crowd-control staff.

The court ruled in favor of the shop. It found that the City of Amsterdam had failed to provide sufficient evidence that a 10-person cap would be more effective than existing measures. While there was broad agreement that harm to residents needed to be reduced, the question of just how far business operations can be restricted remained unresolved.

05. "Scan the QR Code to Skip the Line"

In 2025, activists even took action targeting Amsterdam's so-called "TikTok hotspots." Signs read, "Scan the QR code to skip the line." When tourists scanned the QR code, however, instead of instructions for skipping the line, a completely different message appeared: "Amsterdam is under threat because of places like this where you want to spend your money. Don't stand in this line, look elsewhere." One tourist who scanned the QR code actually walked away from the queue.
The message conveyed that tourist spending is altering rents, local commerce, and residents' living environments. QR codes also appeared in lines outside other social media-famous restaurants. The argument was that the problem is not limited to a single fry shop, but rather the broader phenomenon of crowds suddenly converging on specific alleys driven by social media.

06. Taking the City to Court

This time, 20 residents who have complained of nuisances for years took the City of Amsterdam to court. Their complaint was not simply demanding that the shop close because business was too good. The core issue was whether the city adequately considered harm to residents when issuing the permit. The residents argue that in granting and maintaining the operating permit, the city failed to sufficiently weigh the residential environment against the shop's commercial profits.

The city also acknowledges the residents' distress. However, its position is that not all problems can be placed on the shop's shoulders.
The city also maintains that outright refusing the permit would be an excessively harsh measure against the business owner.
The administrative court is scheduled to issue a ruling within up to six weeks following the hearing.

07. Even Affecting Home Prices?

An intriguing study concerning this alley was recently released. Researchers at Delft University of Technology analyzed 6,233 home transactions in Amsterdam between 2015 and 2023. After adjusting for variables such as home size and condition, homes within 500 meters of Fabel Friet sold for an average of 4.88% less than comparable properties. When narrowing the radius to 70 meters, the price difference widened to 11.4%.

Rather than concluding that "home prices plummeted 11.4% because of a fry shop," the study analyzed that a pattern was observed where homes closer to the shop sold at lower prices compared to properties under similar conditions elsewhere. The closer to the shop, the larger the gap became. The everyday inconveniences voiced by residents have even become the subject of research examining correlations with residential transaction values.

08. The Problem Isn't Fries, but Algorithms?

In 2026, another team of researchers conducted on-site observations at several social media-famous eateries. Tourists discover food on social media and visit the location. They shoot videos similar to what they saw online and post them back on social platforms, where algorithms push those clips to yet other users. Those users then visit the same location. This process repeats itself. Researchers characterize this as "social media-induced food tourism." Tourists themselves are also feeling this trend.
In the past, travel guidebooks and agencies brought people in, but now algorithms serve that role. At times, they even dictate the flow of foot traffic through city alleys.

09. Is It Only Amsterdam's Problem?

Tourists taking pictures in narrow alleys between hanok (traditional Korean houses)—actual residents still live in those alleys today. In Seoul's Bukchon, resident complaints over issues such as tourist noise, trash, and invasion of privacy have also persisted for a long time. In response, Seoul's Jongno District designated parts of Bukchon as a "Special Management Zone." In the "Red Zone" around Bukchon-ro 11-gil, tourist visiting hours are restricted to between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Entering for tourism purposes outside permitted hours incurs a fine of 100,000 won.

How can spaces crowded with tourists and spaces where residents live their everyday lives be separated? Amsterdam and Seoul are facing a similar question.

10. Block Tourists or Protect Residents?

The circumstances of the two cities are not entirely identical. Bukchon as a whole is a well-known tourist district, whereas the situation around Fabel Friet revolves around a specific eatery that exploded in popularity on social media. Nonetheless, the question posed by both locations is strikingly similar. For someone, it is a must-eat cone of fries in Amsterdam; for another, a must-photograph hanok alley in Seoul. Yet these places are simultaneously living spaces where people come and go every day. The moment a single video takes off, an algorithm can transform even an ordinary alley into a tourist destination.

Amsterdam's controversy, sparked by a single bag of fries: we may find ourselves asking the very same question at the next hotspot uncovered by algorithms. Where should the tourist space end, and where should the daily lives of residents be safeguarded?


Deep Dive Q&A
Q1. What were the findings regarding home transaction prices uncovered by Delft University of Technology researchers in the Amsterdam "Fabel Friet" case?

A1. In an analysis of 6,233 home transactions in Amsterdam from 2015 to 2023, researchers at Delft University of Technology found that after adjusting for conditions including home size and state, homes within a 500-meter radius of Fabel Friet sold for an average of 4.88% less than comparable properties. In particular, within a 70-meter radius very close to the shop, a pattern was observed where the transaction price difference widened to 11.4%. This is interpreted as a key indicator that the infringement on residents' living environment—such as noise, trash, and sidewalk obstruction caused by tourist overcrowding—has been reflected in actual real estate values.

Q2. What specific administrative and social measures have Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Seoul, South Korea, adopted or attempted to address the problem of algorithm-driven overtourism?

A2. The City of Amsterdam attempted an administrative order to cap the waiting crowd outside the shop at a maximum of 10 people, but this was rejected in court due to a lack of supporting evidence; currently, residents are pursuing an administrative lawsuit against the city for failing to consider residential rights when granting the operating permit. Meanwhile, to protect residents' right to housing, Seoul's Jongno District designated the Bukchon Hanok Village area (around Bukchon-ro 11-gil) as a "Special Management Zone (Red Zone)," restricting tourist visiting hours to 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and enforcing direct control measures that impose a 100,000-won fine for violations during restricted hours.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.