What if the glittery universe of Amsterdam's coffee houses concealed more mysteries than simply fragrant blends and bright lights? That is the idea Netflix's Amsterdam Empire is exploring thoroughly and indeed, the query that is bothering everyone is if The Jackal, the mighty coffee shop chain around which the story revolves, is based on a real-life company.The brief response? The Jackal in Amsterdam Empire is not officially based on a real coffee shop chain, but it seemingly takes loose inspiration from Amsterdam’s real cannabis culture and iconic brands like The Bulldog.What is Amsterdam Empire about?Amsterdam Empire is a 2025 Dutch crime drama featuring Piet Matthys, Nico Moolenaar, and Bart Uytdenhouwen. The narrative follows Betty Jonkers, a former pop star, whose life falls apart after she finds out about her husband Jack Van Doorn’s infidelity.However, this is no ordinary domestic drama and Jack is no ordinary spouse. He is one of the most influential and significant people in the Amsterdam cultural scene, the proprietor of a massive coffeeshop empire called The Jackal.Day by day, the viewers become more and more involved in the story of power, betrayal, and revenge. Betty’s sadness turns into a war of tactics that can bring down everything that Jack has built up.The Jackal: More than a coffeeshopIn Amsterdam Empire, The Jackal is not merely a fictitious coffeeshop chain but the empire on which Jack Van Doorn’s character and wealth are based. The Jackal serves as a narrative lens through which the entire plot of the show is viewed, the spot where the glossy surface of Amsterdam connects with its underbelly.The empire represents all traits of Jack: his drive, his hunger for power, and his ultimate doom. As the storyline unfolds, the coffeeshop transforms from a mere commercial operation to a symbolic location where loyalty, betrayal, and legality confront each other.The series cleverly immerses viewers in Amsterdam's actual cannabis culture and, at the same time, points out the city's contradiction of being open to soft drugs through licensed outlets but still having an underground appeal.Does the Jackal exist in reality?As per reputable sites like Moviedelic, it’s a no, not exactly. The Jackal is a made-up place by the series writers. Nevertheless, the entire backdrop and the persona mirrored the coffee shops in Amsterdam, which had been a bright part of the city's identity and culture for an extensive time.Amsterdam permitted the use and trade of cannabis via coffeeshops under the government's control since the 1970s. These locations have evolved into cultural icons, combining tourism, counterculture, and business.Hence, The Jackal does not have an existence outside the series; still, it seems so because it draws from the real Amsterdam cannabis economy and community.The Bulldog connectionThe Jackal has some faint resemblances to the branding of the very famous coffeeshop chain The Bulldog.Established in 1975 by Henk de Vries, The Bulldog started as one coffeeshop in the Red Light District of Amsterdam and gradually turned into a worldwide brand. At present, The Bulldog runs cafés, hotels, and retail stores, which are emblematic of the popularization of the cannabis culture. Its name, alongside its dog logo, has become tantamount to the Amsterdam coffeeshop experience.Similarly, The Jackal in Amsterdam Empire takes a very similar path. The Jackal and The Bulldog are both companies that base their empires on branding, image, and cultural influence. Their names, both of which are inspired by dogs, point to the instinctive survival traits of the founders that drive them.Nevertheless, there is no definitive proof that The Jackal is derived from The Bulldog. The creators of the show have not in any way related their imaginary kingdom to any real-life coffee shop. Rather, the similarity is most likely due to the shared roots of Amsterdam’s coffeeshop culture which comprised rebellion, branding, and ambition.Filming and real-world inspirationThe production details confirm the connection to Amsterdam's real coffeeshop location. Amsterdam Empire team worked in and around Zeedijk Street in the Red Light District, not far from the original location of The Bulldog at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 90.This closeness, together with the show’s vivid visual allusions, makes the point even stronger than The Bulldog's setting was the Jackal's design influence, possibly only indirectly.In addition, the creators of the series have been known to reflect real social settings in their work and to build up very interesting stories. They have already dealt with not-quite-legal worlds, where the line between the law and survival is blurred, which has also been the case with Jack Van Doorn's ruthless manipulation of Amsterdam's cannabis market.What The Jackal representsThe Jackal, beyond its imaginary name, is a symbol. It is the very model of power and sin, a mirror that shows both Amsterdam's beauty and its moral contradictions.As Amsterdam Empire unfolds, The Jackal turns into the place where Jack and Betty’s personal war meets the issues of legality, loyalty, and survival. Their fight makes it clear that one can lose love in the course of gaining power. The coffeeshop, which was a sign of success at one time, now changes into a metaphor for overindulgence and decline, alongside the founder of the empire who is falling down.While there has not been any official notice about the bulldog or any brand in particular being used as a model for the Jackal. Still, the similarities, the location, the growth, the dog emblem, and the moral tension are all factors making it very difficult to overlook.In the end, the Jackal is a fantasy that is being presented to us as a real picture of the coffeehouse culture in Amsterdam. It represents the city's contradictions, the freedom and regulation, the wealth and downfall, the loyalty and fraud, all sewn up into one great series empire.With its combination of realism and imagination, Amsterdam Empire draws our attention back to the fact that even the most powerful empires might just be able to collapse when they get too ambitious in their quest for power.Also Read: Amsterdam Empire cast and character guide: Who plays whom in Netflix's latest Dutch crime drama?