The Netherlands now has more fast food spots than restaurants

Whether you’re picking up a quick bite on your way home after work, grabbing a late-night snack after drinks or simply too tired to cook, eating out has become both a pastime and a convenience. It's no surprise then that the number of fast food outlets in the Netherlands has increased by a staggering 88 percent since 2007.

Fast food outlets now outnumber standard restaurants

Fast food has boomed over the past 20 years, with the Netherlands now serving visitors and residents a quick and easy meal from the 19.400 fast food outlets operating in 2026. In 2007, there were almost half the number at 10.300.

The same goes for the number of restaurants, which has risen from 11.100 in 2007 to 19.200 in 2026, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Altogether, the country now has a total of 38.600 venues serving food and “there are now more fast food businesses than restaurants.”

Amsterdam and the Wadden Islands lead with the most

The concentration of fast food spots, however, is not spread equally across the Netherlands. In places with more people, there are more fast food options.

In fact, four major Dutch cities account for almost 20 percent of all fast food offerings in the whole country. Amsterdam has the most with 1.605, followed by Rotterdam (975), The Hague (790) and Utrecht (445).

Furthermore, locations that attract more tourists also tend to have more convenient eateries. These tend to be found along the North Sea coast, particularly the Wadden Islands, which have the highest number of fast food outlets per 1.000 inhabitants.

Vlieland has 8,3, followed by Ameland (4,3), Schiermonnikoog (4,1) and Terschelling with 3,1 per thousand inhabitants. The national average is 1,1 fast food outlets per 1.000 people.