400-year-old coffee shop closes because it can't keep up with TikTok trend

Centuries-old establishments like 't Zonnetje are struggling to survive rent pressures and trendy eateries fuelled by TikTok - Photo: BLANE BACHELOR

According to CNN , high rents, low revenue and changing tourist preferences - including the habit of choosing a restaurant based on TikTok clips - have caused many old shops in Amsterdam to fall into a slump.

Win time but lose TikTok trend

The tea and coffee shop called 't Zonnetje, which means "little sun" in Dutch, is housed in a 17th-century building. Owner Marie-Louise Velder plans to close at the end of May after years of trying to keep it going.

CNN reports that centuries-old shops like 't Zonnetje are finding it increasingly difficult to survive under pressure from rents, while trendy eateries inspired by TikTok, mass-market bakeries and cannabis shops continue to spring up to cater to tourists .

Kate Carlisle, who has lived in Amsterdam for eight years and is a regular customer, said the shop's closure would be a huge loss for the city.

“This is a heritage site – the building, the history behind it, the street,” Carlisle said. “Everyone should come together and do everything they can to save this place. Otherwise, Amsterdam will just be a bunch of soulless shopping malls.”

Staff say 't Zonnetje is a core part of Amsterdam's spirit, not just a shop but a meeting point for residents and visitors, and a treasure trove of centuries of history. "Of course, Amsterdam has many other tea and coffee shops. But most of them are mainstream. This one is really special."

Efforts to preserve Amsterdam's cultural identity

Velder bought the shop in 1999 without a contract—“just a handshake,” she says. The first few years were difficult, but Velder was determined to learn as much as she could about the business and its customers. The business started with “a bucket of coal, a bucket of water, and herbs,” Velder says. “Then it was tea… Then it was coffee.”

Gradually, she began to stabilize, building a reputation for quality products imported from around the world .

In the past, the shop had as many as 350 varieties of tea—some of which she blended herself using “secret recipes.” But she has limited new additions due to her plans to close. The shop also sells about 15 varieties of coffee.

Amsterdam, which is currently celebrating its 750th anniversary, has struggled for years to preserve its cultural history. Rapid tourism growth has led to many social ills.

Sadly, many unhealthy services are what attract tourists, causing them to turn away from places with long-standing historical significance. In March 2023, former American boxer Mike Tyson opened the first cannabis shop in Amsterdam.

Over the past decade, the city government has tried to redirect tourism, focusing on visitors who come to Amsterdam to enjoy its culture and museums, rather than to partake in its notorious vices.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quan-ca-phe-400-tuoi-dong-cua-vi-khong-theo-noi-trend-tiktok-20250507130535289.htm