By Jeni Marinucci
Who doesn’t love Ikea? It’s a one-stop shopping for affordable, take-it-with-you home needs and décor, and let’s be honest: the place showcases some amazing furniture engineering marvels. But is the food in the store cafeteria a real feature? Do people travel there from across state lines (upwards of 30 per cent of visitors must travel more than usual distances to shop there) for meatballs first, economical glassware and linen second?
Well, we’re about to find out, as Ikea recently revealed their plan to turn the food operations part of their business into a bit of a spin-off series, in hopes of a hit. CTV News reports that the Swedish retailer is looking to bring their meatballs (and more) to you:
“In an interview with Fast Company, Ikea Food’s managing director Michael La Cour said they’re looking at opening standalone Ikea-branded restaurants that would operate separately from their big-box furniture stores.”
LaCour believes in the restaurant’s appeal to consumers, telling CTV: “I firmly believe there is potential. I hope in a few years our customers will be saying, ‘Ikea is a great place to eat — and, by the way, they also sell some furniture.'”
Much of the appeal in Ikea’s current food offerings stems from the fact that it is cheap and fast – two principles in alignment with the brand’s overall message. Hot lunches sell for around $5, and the restaurant combines self-serve and cafeteria-style elements. The move to investigate opening stand-alone restaurants comes after recent efforts by Ikea to remodel and update their locations’ restaurants to a more modern esthetic.
Be on the lookout for Ikea restaurants soon, because who doesn’t need a Poäng sling chair and some meatballs, right now.
