Homewares retailer Ikea has opened its first standalone restaurant on the UK High Street.

The new restaurant is located in London next door to Ikea’s newly revamped Hammersmith City Store.

The space, formerly a Wasabi restaurant, has space for 75 diners and will serve a wide range of Swedish dishes.

The move is part of Ikea’s plan to offer a more accessible shopping experience.
The company said it has invested “significantly” in providing more flexibility for customers and being closer to where people live, work and shop, this includes the launch mobile pick up points at Tesco stores across the UK.

“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,” said Matthew Could, market manager at Ikea London City. “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 launch comes after Ikea reported a decline in global sales last month.
Overall sales fell five per cent to €39.6 billion, with the company saying it had significantly reduced prices across its markets in response to a challenging economic environment.

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