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Bringing A Little Bit of Sweden to Tulsa

Tulsa has been known to create some creative campaigns to drive entities to town. A while back, a group got Trader Joe’s to open a story in the city. A few years ago, there was a big push to get Tesla to move to town. The most recent campaign is for IKEA to open a store in Tulsa. #TulsaLovesIKEA is what the campaign is called, and it’s pretty self-explanatory. Who doesn’t love IKEA?


But the campaign has some unique approaches. A few weeks ago, a bunch of Tulsans traveled to Texas to do some shopping at a nearby IKEA. Meanwhile, ke comms was invited to take part in a pop-up restaurant called Tulsmå that was inspired by IKEA's food and Nordic food in general. 


Let me tell you: It was a great experience. From the smorgasbord to the Green County-inspired fennel salad to the local bison and pork meatball, everything was delicious. 




The group behind the pop-up is a local collective known as Et Al, a James Beard-nominated group of local chefs. It was the first time I had tried their creations, but it won’t be the last. 


Chloe Butler, co-chef and founder, told me in an email interview that the four-day pop-up allowed for only about 250 guests, making it a truly unique experience for those able to attend. 


She said the primary influences were IKEA's food itself, blended with hyper-local products. 





“One element we really wanted to focus on from Nordic cuisine is using what's available to you geographically, so we've been working with Joe's Farm in Bixby to source local, hyper-seasonal produce that will be available the week of the dinner and also incorporate elements that are quintessentially Oklahoman,” she said. “I think the best representation of that idea is seen in the meatball course, which takes the most iconic IKEA food product but puts an Oklahoman twist on it: the meatball itself is made of a blend of local bison and pork, with leeks from a local farm, on a bed of fluffy pomme puree and a velvety smooth Swedish meatball sauce. We love to toe the line between fine-dining and whimsy, and this course (among others) certainly accomplishes that.”


As for the name Tulsmå, Butler said there were a lot of options, but they landed on Tulsmå as a blend of Tulsa and Småland, Sweden, the birthplace of the founder of IKEA. 


“Småland is now the name of the children's play areas inside IKEA stores, and we loved the tie between the whimsy of the play areas, the importance of that town to the IKEA brand, and what we are trying to accomplish with this menu: an experience that feels whimsical, fun, cozy, homey, and familiar,” she said. “Tulsmå is ‘fine-dining’ done in a way that feels approachable and accessible to anyone, just as IKEA is approachable and accessible to anyone.”



Hi! I’m Kristi. I’ve written for various media outlets including The Associated Press, The New York Times, Fast Company and the Washington Post. I now run my own public relations + writing agency, ke comms. I work with purpose-driven brands and causes to amplify their messaging and share their stories. Want to learn more? Visit www.kecomms.com or email me at kristi@kecomms.com.

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