Redesigning the IKEA Food Experience

IKEA has mastered the art of flat packs, modular living, and even the psychology of wayfinding — but somehow, the food experience still feels stuck in 1999.

I say this with love (and as someone who goes there often for what my family affectionately calls our “night out”).

But every time I queue up for meatballs, I can’t help thinking: why does it take 20 minutes to get food in the land of efficiency?

It’s not the food that’s the problem — it’s the flow.

The IKEA restaurant could be a living lab for service innovation. A place where we experiment with trust, automation, and self-sufficiency, the same values the brand already champions in its stores.

Because good design isn’t just about furniture or aesthetics. It’s about how we experience the brand, from the moment we grab a tray to the first bite of a meatball.