A viral TikTok takeaway spot in Berlin has angered locals in the Bergmannkiez neighbourhood because of the vast amounts of litter that customers leave in their wake.
The Berlin takeaway spot Munchies, famous for its Texas-inspired halal tacos and burgers, has now become infamous among locals for the amount of litter its customers leave behind.
After going viral on TikTok the takeaway has become hugely popular among teenagers and young people. The takeaway’s owners claim they welcome around 1.000 customers each day.
With very few indoor seats at the 26-square-metre takeaway, Munchies’ customers eat their deep-fried food in the surrounding area. Now, the company’s branded packaging is being discarded everywhere in the expensive neighbourhood, apart from in the bins.
Tensions drew to a climax when frustrated locals began throwing full bin bags through the door of the shop and Munchies’ owners found faeces smeared around the entrance.
Since January 2023, restaurants and cafes in Germany have had to offer a reusable alternative to disposable takeaway packaging. However, since the Munchies shop is small and has insufficient space to wash reusable packaging safely it is exempt from this new law.
Multiple complaints to local authorities led Bezirksamt Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg to issue a statement that the takeaway is in fact meeting its business obligations and the responsibility to properly dispose of rubbish lies with customers.
Munchies employee Jordi Makengo told rbb that employees are taking measures to reduce litter, sending employees out to tidy up the surrounding area during opening hours and at closing.
In a TikTok video, Makengo made a plea to regular and prospective customers. “People, people, we have a problem, rubbish. If you eat at our takeaway, please don’t leave rubbish in this area,” Makengo explained, before giving a tour of the company’s bins directly outside the shop and down the street.
Thumb image credit: AndreLE / Shutterstock.com