Grandma defends boy eating at Ikea Tampines showroom dining table, retorts 'he's just a kid'

A grandmother is facing online backlash after letting her grandson eat at an Ikea showroom dining table and defending the incident afterwards.

Photos of the elderly woman accompanying a young child, with the latter eating, were shared on Complaint Singapore Facebook page on Sunday (June 21).

They were sitting at a table in a mock-up dining room at the furniture store’s Tampines outlet and the photos were taken at around 11.20am, according to the caption.

"Yumyum, who cares if I disturb other shoppers. I told the grandma this is not allowed in Singapore, she replied it's just a kid, so I took their photos," according to Facebook user OrangeDragon3045, who captioned the post.

Netizens express disapproval

Many netizens expressed their disapproval of such behaviour in public setting, with one saying: "Ikea is a good place to witness people at their worst behaviour especially during weekends ... unruly kids."

Another netizen shared they hate going to Ikea in Singapore as "each display set [in the showrooms] will have someone 'choping' the space".

"Please inform the staff or security," another commenter said, reminding others who may come across such situations at an Ikea outlet.

Ikea responds

In response to AsiaOne's queries, an Ikea spokesperson said that while they encourage their customers to feel right at home in Ikea's room settings, customers are invited to enjoy their meals in the restaurant in order "to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience for everyone".

Eating in showroom areas may raise hygiene and food safety concerns, and disrupt other shoppers’ experience, said Ikea.

"Our co-workers are on hand to provide guidance and support to customers where needed," added the spokesperson.

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