When Ikea unveiled its new dining concept last week, suddenly you could try out a new sofa while simultaneously eating the company’s signature Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberries, as well as many new dishes on the menu.
“It was a national remodel,” says Corinne Lau, marketing manager of the Paramus location. “We wanted to make it a little more inspiring and relaxing, and show customers how they can incorporate our furnishings into a space.”
Instead of just imagining what it would be like to plop down onto, say, a Stocksund sofa or slide onto a Bernhard bar stool and dig into a plate of Swedish food, visitors can now do exactly that in three dining areas outfitted with different Ikea furnishings.
The most inviting is the Fika section, equipped with tall tables and stools and named for the Swedish tradition of breaking daily for coffee, sweets and socializing. This comfy lounge-like area has “a coffee-house kind of vibe,” says Lau.
Meanwhile, there’s a family-friendly section offering activity towers to busy the youngsters after they load up on organic pasta and sauce from the Kids’ Meals menu that includes chicken fingers; grilled chicken with carrots; berries; and string cheese, all for $2.49. Free baby food can be requested with any purchase.
Free wifi is available throughout the new dining areas, and Ikea offers a complimentary one-hour day care service, called Small Land, where children can enjoy a supervised ball pit, crafts and movies while the grown-ups eat a hot breakfast or savor plates of smoked salmon, quinoa-sweet-potato chili, or chicken-and-spinach salad with fresh strawberries and blue cheese, priced from $1.99 to $6.99.
Ikea’s spinach salad with chicken.
Ikea’s penne with tomato sauce, from the Kids’ Meals menu.
Even Ikea’s classic Swedish meatballs have gotten a bit of a makeover. Although the traditional style is always available, now there are chicken meatballs and veggie balls served with a Mediterranean harissa sauce.
“The focus is on steering towards healthier foods,” Lau says. “People think of it as a cafeteria, but we like to think of it as a restaurant.”