Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Eddy Van Belle is opening a fries museum in Brussels’ Stoofstraat, aiming for 150,000 visitors yearly. Supported by Alderman Anaïs Maes, it awaits zoning approval to become a legal “collective facility.”
Eddy Van Belle is opening a new fries museum in Brussels. It will be located across from his chocolate museum, Choco-Story, in the Stoofstraat. The museum will open on Monday, April 28, 2025. The mayor of Brussels and the chairman of the National Federation of Friturists will be at the opening.
Van Belle hopes to attract 150,000 visitors a year to the new museum, while Choco-Story already attracts 230,000 visitors a year. Van Belle is known for turning his collections into museums, including salt and pepper shakers and lamps. He hopes the fries museum will be another popular tourist destination in Brussels.
“This ties in with the idea of the City of Brussels to give various chip shops a new face through an architectural project (by Studio Moto, ed.),”
Says Van Belle.
Will the Brussels fries museum open legally amid zoning issues?
The city of Brussels supports the fries museum, but they said that there is a problem. The building is classified for commercial use, which is for shops and businesses. According to Alderman for Urban Development Anais Maes, a museum is a “collective facility” and needs a change of destination. He mentioned that the city needs to change the rules for the building. If they don’t, the fries museum will be illegal even though it’s open.
According to Eddy Van Belle, the person behind the fries museum, it seems strange that the fries museum needs a zoning change to “collective facilities.” This is usually for public places like schools and museums. But the fries museum is private and makes money. However, other museums like Belgian Beer World and Choco-Story are also in buildings for “collective facilities.”
He mentioned that private museums are seen as public places because of their culture and education. If the fries museum doesn’t get the zoning change, it might need more permits and public meetings.
Eddy Van Belle says that business owners like him are more interested in creating things than dealing with complicated laws. But he is willing to follow the city’s rules. The museum has support from the city, including Alderman Anaïs Maes. She thinks the fries museum is a good idea and will help tourism in Brussels.
“We tolerate the opening because we see no reason to reject the change of destination,”
says her chief of staff.
“Although we must, of course, await the possible public inquiry for a final decision.”
