IKEA Is Hosting a Massive Easter Feast

IKEA might have a reputation for being a chaotic furniture-filled maze that has a knack for breaking up otherwise happy couples, but it also has a food court stocked with Swedish meatballs. And boy, are those meatballs popular. That’s why an Easter buffet feast hosted by IKEA is going to be great news for people who like to eat where they shop for a new couch.

On April 5, IKEA will hold its annual Easter Påskbor — a celebration of the changing of the seasons and the blooming of the flowers. For $16.99, you get access to the party and, most importantly, the all-you-can-eat buffet, which includes a multi-course homage to classic Swedish dishes. There will, of course, be Swedish meatballs (served with a side of lingonberry jam, naturally) on offer, but you’ll also be treated to a wide variety of snacks you might not be so familiar with: salmon marinated in mustard sauce, deviled eggs with shrimp, herring, poached salmon. (And that’s just the first course!)

For the main event, you’ll find cucumber salad, potato salad, a Swedish cheese plate, Swedish ham, boiled dill potatoes — basically a lot of hearty, satisfying Nordic starches to lull you into comfortable fullness. It might seem a little out-of-the-box to celebrate Easter in a furniture store, but that’s all part of the adventure. Will IKEA ever open stand-alone restaurants so you don’t have to browse carpets just to get to the cafeteria? Well, actually, there is a chance the store is considering opening an independent restaurant chain.

Until then we’ll just have to be happy with Påskbor. The epic feast will be taking place nationwide (use the store locator to find out if your neighborhood IKEA is participating), but keep in mind that space is limited and seats fill up fast. Like I said, people really love to shop for DIY furniture and then cool down at the adjacent food court.