IKEA’s sole Slovak store in Bratislava is selling up to 4,500 meals a day, making its food division the fastest-growing segment of the business and one of the strongest performers in the retailer’s global network.
While widely perceived as a furniture chain, IKEA Slovensko has quietly built a food operation that now ranks first worldwide within the group by volume of meals sold, Forbes Slovakia reports. The Bratislava outlet also placed third globally by revenue in the IKEA Food category, according to company representatives presenting results for the 2025 financial year.
The store’s restaurant attracts around 1.5 million customers annually. More than six million meat and plant-based meatballs were sold last year alone. Average daily sales stand at roughly 2,600 meals, rising to as many as 4,500 on peak days.
Restaurant revenue reached EUR 12 million in the past financial year, up by 11% YoY. That puts the single-store operation within reach of some of Slovakia’s established hospitality players. By comparison, Medusa Restaurants, which operates 25 venues, reported revenues of EUR 28 million in 2024, while McDonald’s Slovakia exceeded EUR 50 million in sales the previous year.
The bestseller remains the retailer’s Swedish meatballs, marketed under the Huvudroll range, alongside hot dogs, which executives said sold in such quantities that laid end-to-end they would stretch from Bratislava to Trnava.
Despite the strength of its food arm, overall sales growth has slowed. IKEA Slovakia posted revenues of EUR 144 million in the last financial year, broadly flat year-on-year and hovering around the same level for three consecutive years. The company cited weaker consumer sentiment and intensifying competition from ultra-low-cost non-food chains such as Pepco, Action, Tedi and Woolworth.
In the furniture segment, Danish retailer Jysk is catching up with IKEA in Slovakia.
Online sales accounted for 31.1% of revenue, up by more than 12%, while store footfall remained stable at over three million visitors. The retailer sold an average of 27 kitchens per day, with beds and mattresses among the fastest-growing categories.
The company confirmed it is analysing expansion opportunities in Slovakia, including smaller urban formats designed to reduce operating costs and improve accessibility for city-based customers. For now, however, Bratislava remains its only full-scale store in the country. (The Slovak Spectator)