IKEA to launch restaurants soon

The company is already testing pop-up eateries in London, Paris, and Oslo

Love visiting the IKEA restaurant? You may soon be able to eat at one without having to visit the store.

The iconic furniture company is planning to launch independent restaurants throughout the US.

The company is already testing pop-up cafes in London, Paris, and Oslo. The company currently feeds 650 million customers in 48 countries at its in-store restaurants and made $1.8 billion in food sales alone in 2016.



Michael La Cour, managing director of Ikea Food says the restaurant model will offer customers a unique and affordable dining experience.

“This might sound odd, but it’s almost something we didn’t notice,” La Cour told Fast Company. “But when I started putting the numbers into the context of other food companies, suddenly I could see, well, it really is not that small.”

PHOTO: Reuters

The company has formed a partnership with a sustainable salmon farm in Norway as well as suppliers of coffee and chocolate and will feature new items on their menu such as chicken and vegan Swedish meatballs which launched in stores in 2015 along with the classic meatballs.



Confident in the idea, La Cour explains, “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.’”

This article originally appeared on news.com.au