IKEA Play Café pop-up shop launches in Toronto

A lot happens in the kitchen – we cook, we store, we clean, we gather. But the kitchen doesn’t have to be a place where you merely play with ingredients. The kitchen is, or at least should be, a place to have some fun.

IKEA is launching a 8,000-sq.-ft. pop-up shop from June 16 to June 27 at 336 Queen St. W. centred around kitchen and, of course, food. According to Marsha Smith, president of IKEA Canada, "There’s a lot more to food than the food itself – it’s about being healthy, creating everyday routines, being together and having fun. That’s why we’ve created the IKEA Play Café; to challenge conventions when it comes to meal times, hosting and entertaining… and bring fun, simplicity and togetherness back to family time.”

Instead of the typical café selection, the IKEA Play Café pop-up will offer frozen yogurt, its famous Swedish meatballs, chicken balls, veggie balls, fried onions, pickles, and biscuits.

Visitors will also be treated to a variety of arcade games with an IKEA twist, such as tic-tac-toe and a large pinball machine. There will also be 50 household items available for purchase, including artificial plants, pillows, cutting boards and other home décor and kitchen accessories.

But most importantly, IKEA Play Café inspires visitors to experience life in and around the kitchen in a whole new way. "Through our home visits across the country, we know that the kitchen is the heart of the Canadian home," says Smith. "But, we also know that the kitchen and the food we prepare can cause Canadians some stress. Every day, people make more than 200 food-related decisions – and that’s a lot of decisions! We encourage people to say goodbye to the decisions that cause you stress and say hello to the things that bring you joy."

The IKEA Play Café will be open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.