IKEA has expanded its reach beyond furniture with the opening of its first stand-alone restaurant on the UK high street. Located on King Street in Hammersmith, the IKEA Restaurant offers a dedicated dining space where shoppers can enjoy the brand’s well-known Swedish cuisine, including its signature meatballs. Situated right next to the newly renovated IKEA Hammersmith City Store, the restaurant brings IKEA’s affordable menu items directly to customers on the high street, marking a first for the retailer.
The new restaurant space, previously occupied by Wasabi, is designed to seat 75 diners and features a menu of classic Swedish dishes alongside kid-friendly options. The dedicated high-street location allows shoppers to take a break from their day for a quick meal or leisurely coffee and ‘fika’ – a traditional Swedish coffee break with a sweet treat.
Matthew Gould, Market Manager at IKEA London City, expressed excitement for this new venture, saying, “We know how much our customers love the IKEA restaurant and we’re excited to celebrate the opening of our very first high street restaurant. Fans of our delicious dishes can recharge during their shopping trip with our famous Swedish meatballs, pop in for a traditional Swedish ‘fika’ break for coffee and a sweet treat, or find an affordable meal for the kids right on the high street.”
The opening of the stand-alone restaurant is part of IKEA UK’s larger strategy to improve accessibility and meet customers where they live, work, and shop. This strategy includes an ongoing investment in mobile pick-up points across the UK, with over 100 pick-up locations already available at Tesco stores and plans for an additional 100 in the coming months. In addition, IKEA has announced plans to launch two new City Stores, one on Oxford Street in London and another in Brighton, as it aims to make shopping more convenient for UK customers.
