Here are ten American fast food restaurant chains operating in the Netherlands. Many are well-established, while others are still testing the Dutch marketplace demand…
McDONALD’S
The first McDonald’s Netherlands location opened in 1971 in the city of Zaandam (North Holland). The company struggled in the early years, not fully recognizing certain key behavioral differences in the Dutch, such as the large percentage that cycle to work or to the train station. Those were potential customers that weren’t visiting the restaurants which had been located along highways. But once the locations were moved to city centers, the brand began to flourish. Today there are approximately 250 McDonald’s locations across the Netherlands, including 17 in Amsterdam, 15 in Rotterdam, 8 in The Hague and 5 in Utrecht.
KFC
The first Kentucky Fried Chicken location in Holland opened in 1972 in Rotterdam. Today there are over 55 KFC locations in the Netherlands with a third of them (18) in South Holland. Yum Brands (parent company of KFC) recently sold many Dutch KFC locations to Collins Foods, the largest Australian KFC franchisee. Collins Foods has plans to open an additional 20 locations in the Netherlands. You can get delivered to your home through Thuisbezorgd.
BURGER KING
The first Burger King Netherlands restaurant opened in 1981. It has since grown to more than 60 locations across the country including Amsterdam (8), Rotterdam (3), The Hague (2), Eindhoven (2), Arnhem (2), Delft (2), Groningen (2), Amersfoort (2) and Utrecht (2). Burger King also offers home delivery for customers in the Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Groningen, Schiedam and Hoofddorp areas through Thuisbezorgd.
SUBWAY
The first Subway Netherlands location opened in Eindhoven in 2000. The brand quickly expanded via a network of franchisee-owned locations. Today there are 180+ Subway sandwich shops across the country including in Amsterdam (11), Eindhoven (8), Rotterdam (8), The Hague (8) and Utrecht (4). You can have Subway delivered to your home through Thuisbezorgd.
DOMINO’S
In 2001, Domino’s Pizza set up a ‘regional resource center’ here in the Netherlands (the first outside the United States) after taking a majority share in the Dutch license holder. That move would later be key in the brand’s European expansion. Domino’s is the market leader in home pizza delivery in Holland with approximately 50 locations (13 in Amsterdam alone).
STARBUCKS
In 2007, the first Starbucks Netherlands location opened at Schiphol Airport and was operated by licensee HMS Host. Two years later, the first Starbucks train station location was opened at Leiden Centraal (operated by licensee Servex, a subsidiary of NS). In 2011, the first inner city Starbucks opened on Leidsestraat in Amsterdam. Today there are approximately 50 Starbucks points-of-sale throughout the country including 15 in Amsterdam and 5 each in The Hague and Rotterdam.
DUNKIN’ DONUTS
This popular American donut shop chain (which recently rebranded to just Dunkin’) wasn’t so successful when it first attempted to enter the Dutch marketplace back in the late 1990s. After nearly two decades away from the Netherlands, the brand was reintroduced in 2017, beginning with 4 locations in Amsterdam. Over the past 5 years it has expanded significantly and currently has over 30 shops in cities such as The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Tilburg. They even have two locations in the Mall of the Netherlands (Leidschendam). You can have Dunkin Donuts delivered to your home through Thuisbezorgd.
FIVE GUYS
The Five Guys American burger chain crossed the Atlantic in 2017. After reaching a peak of 8 locations, Five Guys has now reduced its footprint by 50% to just 4 restaurants… Eindhoven, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. You won’t find it in Amsterdam as the city council blocked its operating permit application in an attempt to limit the number of fast food restaurants within its borders. If you live in one of the 4 cities where it is present, you can order Five Guys for home delivery Thuisbezorgd.
PAPA JOHN’S
The American pizza chain Papa John’s first opened in the Netherlands in 2016 and has expanded since. They currently have 25 locations including in Amstelveen, Amsterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Gouda, Groningen, Haarlem, The Hague, Hilversum, Leiden, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Zoetermeer. You can order Papa John’s pizza with home delivery or takeaway.
TACO BELL
Taco Bell, the American Tex-Mex cuisine fast food restaurant chain, has been in the Netherlands since 2017 when they opened 3 locations in North Brabant (Breda, Eindhoven and Tilburg). Just recently they began to expand, adding 5 additional restaurants (Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Arnhem, Rotterdam and The Hague). Taco Bell is a division of Yum! Brands (along with Burger King and KFC). If you live in one of the cities with a Taco Bell you can order online and pickup in the shop or order through Thuisbezorgd and have it delivered to your home.
NOTE: According to the Dutch national statistics bureau, CBS, the fast food category consistently shows high growth within the Netherlands’ food and beverage sector.
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