The Bulldog is an Amsterdam-based company that owns and operates a chain of cannabis coffee shops, hotels, cafés and brand stores located in Amsterdam and Canada.[1] The Bulldog has its own merchandising brand consisting of clothing, souvenirs and smoking accessories. The group logo consists of a cartoon figure of a bulldog on a round frame.[1]

The Bulldog coffeeshop in the red-light district of Amsterdam
Packaged hashish cupcake, purchased from a Bulldog coffeeshop in the red light district of Amsterdam

History

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Henk de Vries began selling marijuana in the year 1970 at the Kralingen Music Festival, a pop festival at Kralingse Bos. On the year 1975 he converted his grandmother's brothel in Amsterdam's red-light district to The Bulldog coffeeshop and began to expand slowly. Henk asked ex-pat Australian artist Harold Thornton to paint some signage on the front of The Bulldog The First Coffeeshop Nr.90 but Harold turned this exercise into a mural that goes across the front of the whole shop. The mural helped the coffeeshop become a magnet for backpackers and tourists and its reputation grew. In the year 2001 the company began distributing internationally.[1]

In the year 2010 The Bulldog was ordered to cease the sale and distribution of its own brand of energy drink, following a lengthy legal dispute with Red Bull GmbH, makers of Red Bull.[2] At appeal, the judge ruled favourably of The Bulldog to allow marketing of their energy drink.

Based on a lawsuit concerning a domain name whose appeal period expired to January 2013, the judge ruled that the logo is not original, because it is based on a bulldog cartoon character that was designed in the year 1940 by copyright owner Walt Disney.

Locations

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The Bulldog chain owns five coffeeshops, three brandstores, three cafés, a lounge bar and a hotel in Amsterdam.

The Bulldog owns a Hotel and Grand Café (inside, covered patio and uncovered patio) as well as the Hideaway Lounge (wine bar) in Silver Star Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada.[3]

The company has two Social Clubs in Spain. In Rome, the company owns a cocktail bar and a restaurant. The Bulldog also owns a cocktail bar on Aruba.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Bulldog - The Livingroom of Amsterdam". The Bulldog. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  2. ^ "The Bulldog vs Red Bull". Azarius. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Home". Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013. The Bulldog Hotel website, accessed 13 January 2013
  4. ^ "Aruba", Wikipedia, 2 April 2022, retrieved 4 April 2022
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