ECONOMY
Bumper year for eating out in Swedish cafes
Fresh figures have shown that Swedes had healthy appetites in 2014, marking a 4 percent increase in income for the restaurant industry.
Published: 9 January 2015 07:30 CET
Swedes enjoy a "fika" break in a Stockholm cafe. Photo: TT
The period between January and November last year saw a 4.2 percent increase in income for the restaurant industry, compared to the same period in 2013.
Total turnover ended up at 110.5 billion kronor ($13.9 billion), showed preliminary figures from Visita, a trade and employers' organization for the Swedish tourism industry.
Despite what many tourists would argue are exorbitant prices for a cup of coffee (typically around 35 kronor or $4.5), cafes saw a particularly big leap in total sales volume, recording an 8 percent jump nationwide during the period. The figures have been adjusted for price developments.
Coffee culture in Sweden (better known as "fika" to the Swedes) is as strong as ever. US coffee chain Starbucks has started to branch out in Stockholm, with stores in the central station and Södermalm joining the game over the past eighteen months.
The fast food industry, meanwhile, reported an increase of 2 percent.
Visita added that there were an additional 4,000 people hired in 2014 within the industry in full-time positions.
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