Shanghai's elderly seek romance at Ikea lonely hearts club

Elderly people at the Ikea restaurant, where they meet every Tuesday, in the Xuhui district in Shanghai. - AFP

SHANGHAI: More than a decade after Ikea tried to kick them out, the raucous Shanghai pensioners' matchmaking group that gathers weekly in the furniture store's cafeteria is still very much alive and kicking.

Every Tuesday, hundreds of elderly lovebirds take over most of the tables in the chain's spacious canteen, shunning the classic Swedish meatballs for their own tea, snacks and even booze brought from home.