Amsterdam city officials have refused to give American hamburger chain Five Guys a licence to open a fast food restaurant in the city centre.

The US group, which is appealing against the decision, had wanted to open a branch of its successful burger formula in the city’s Reguliersbreestraat but was refused because it would be against the area’s zoning plan.

The city is keen to reduce the number of fast food outlets in the city and sees Five Guys as a ‘textbook’ example of the sort of chain it wants to remove, the Parool reported on Wednesday.

The company’s lawyer Raoul Meester told the paper that Five Guys is prepared to adapt its format to meet the council’s demands.

These could include more seating areas, no counter sales and a policy that allows people to take their time over their meal. ‘But this is not a check-list and the health aspect could also be a reason to refuse the permit,’ the paper quoted a city official as saying.

Five Guys currently has three branches in the Netherlands and is headquartered in Amsterdam.