IKEA: WE’RE HERE FOR THE FOOD The story of a bakery, a bistro and a Swedish Food Market
IKEA doesn’t need an introduction. Just mention their name and it will evoke bright yellow and blue filled memories of building your very first BILLY Bookcase and trying to decipher the instructions. And while IKEA are renowned innovators of affordable flat packed furniture, their restaurant is just as famous. The company’s founder Ingvar Kamprad decided to open a restaurant in 1956 in the first IKEA in Älmhult, Sweden because “It’s difficult to do business with someone on an empty stomach”. The restaurants have become so synonymous with the IKEA experience that many of us visit the store mostly for the food. The menu is ever-evolving and constantly being developed. New items get added all the time, but there are some old-faithfuls that never change. Swedish meatballs and the Salmon are all-time favorites all over the world. But what happens when you’ve finished shopping and are 316
famished after hours of “following the feet” on the ground? The newly revamped Bistro area is where you can fill up on your favorite grab-and-go snacks. Not only are the chicken shawarmas delicious, they are extremely affordable. Don’t take our word for it, IKEA sells thousands of them every day. You can also have your pick of hotdogs, potato wedges or ice cream. But what really teases your olfactory senses on your way out is the smell of freshly baked bread and pastry. Your brain is not playing tricks on you, the newly opened bakery is just across the checkout section. The pastries and baked goods are made to global standards. And would pass the inspection of any master pâtissier. They’re produced and frozen to be shipped to Kuwait, then the baking takes place right in front of you. Yes, please! You can watch the berry and custard filled pastries rise in the oven behind the glass door while they are being baked. They need