Mellow Yellow (coffeeshop)

Mellow Yellow

Company type	Private
Industry	Cannabis coffeeshop
Founded	1972
Founder	Wernard Bruining and partners
Defunct	2017
Fate	Closed due to new regulations
Headquarters	Amsterdam , Netherlands
Products	Cannabis products

Mellow Yellow held the distinction of being Amsterdam’s longest-standing cannabis coffeeshop. Initially occupied as a squat in 1972, it moved to a different premises in 1978. The establishment ceased operations at the beginning of 2017.

History

Mellow Yellow was established in 1972 by Wernard Bruining, a hippie, along with his partners. The original location was a squatted former bakery situated on Weesperzijde in Amsterdam. Bruining characterized the venue as a teahouse, drawing inspiration from early 20th-century cannabis cafés in the United States. Its name was inspired by Donovan’s track Mellow Yellow, which was rumored to allude to the effects of smoking banana peels. Despite cannabis being illegal at the time, it became the first coffeeshop worldwide to focus exclusively on selling cannabis products. Among its initial competitors were Rusland and The Bulldog.

Closure

The closure of Mellow Yellow occurred in early 2017 as a result of new regulations requiring 28 Amsterdam coffeeshops located within 250 meters of schools to shut down. The owner, Johnny Petram, challenged this decision because the nearby institution was a hairstyling school primarily attended by adults. Nevertheless, the city proceeded with the shutdown to comply with a national agreement that allowed Amsterdam an exemption from the policy prohibiting foreigners from entering coffeeshops. Petram announced plans to reopen the business at an alternative site.

External links

• Mellow Yellow Lounge