The story of Hill Street Blues goes way back to 1993 when it was first established. The current owners took over the business a year later selling soft drugs and eventually opening up the bar as well by April 1995.
In the same year the proprietors opened up a youth hostel close-by and most of the guests were backpackers traveling through Europe and beyond. While enjoying their vacation, they stopped by Hill Street Blues every now and then for a leisurely drink and smoke.
One day the owner noticed a signature on the door of one of the toilets. But instead of scrubbing it off, he decided that this act should be encouraged instead of being frowned upon. Therefore, he went out and bought colorful permanent markers, handed them out to customers and asked them to leave their mark. Thus the uniquely original interior of Hill Street Blues was born.
Even though writing on the walls is still allowed, good luck in finding a spot to write your mantra on! This simple act has become so popular, it’s actually what the café is mostly known for. Over time, a large number of artists have walked through the doors of Hill Street Blues and left a token of their own.
Howard Marks was one of the first famous customers who stopped by every now and then. Irvine Welsh, the celebrated novelist known for “Trainspotting” was also a regular customer every time he was in Amsterdam. Eminem actually did a photo shoot once for one of his album covers, which can be now found amongst his limited series releases. These are just a few of the many celebrities who honored Hill Street Blues with their presence through its 20+ years of existence.
A 2007 law required the owners to change their business strategy. The law stated that one cannot sell soft drugs and alcohol on the same premise, which meant that the proprietors had to choose only one. They went with soft drugs and continued to run Hill Street Blues as a coffeeshop.
Then in 2013, a new law pressured business owners to clean up the Red Light Area. At this time 50 coffeeshops from the functioning 220 were downright closed, forcing people to yet again rethink their strategy. Warmoesstraat was one of the streets chosen to no longer allow coffeeshops operate.
A new business plan was needed and thus the concept of the smoker’s café was born. Since the law doesn’t restrict smoking soft drugs in a café, Hill Street Blues yet again transformed into a place where one could bring and enjoy his/her own stuff. The focus shifted towards selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, while still allowing customers to smoke the soft drugs which they bought from other coffee shops.
While the conditions and laws are forever changing, the distinctive spirit and unmatched atmosphere of Hill Street Blues lives on – in large part thanks to our beloved and much-cherished guests! Thank you all kindly for your support!
