The railway restaurant was a common feature in the station environment during the 1800s. Most railway restaurants were operated by the railway companies themselves and were often located next to the railway station, sometimes even within the station building.

The first trains with restaurant cars came to Sweden in the 1890s. Before that, meal stops were made at stations with railway restaurants during long journeys. The meal stops at the restaurants were about 20 minutes long. There was no time to sit down peacefully and enjoy the meal. Instead, it was a matter of quickly digging into what the buffet, well-prepared upon arrival, had to offer. It was rumored that stingy restaurateurs served the soup scalding hot so that guests would not have time to eat multiple courses during the short break.

The railway created unprecedented opportunities for those in the hotel and restaurant industry, and for the residents of station communities, the railway restaurant became a luxurious novelty. The food was of very high quality, and restaurant visits became popular on particularly festive occasions even for people in smaller Swedish towns. Therefore, many railway restaurants continued to thrive well into the 1900s, despite passing trains no longer making meal stops.