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How Outdoor Dining Domes Are Saving Restaurants This Winter.

It’s been a tough year for the hospitality industry. The coronavirus pandemic shut restaurants down for a while, some of them forever. Many restaurants that have been allowed to reopen only have 50% capacity for dine-in service, to allow for social distancing. Takeout and outdoor seating have been a saving grace. But now that winter is coming, how will restaurants serve guests seated outside in chilly temperatures and snow? Many are using outdoor dining domes.

 

COVID-19 Problems for Restaurants

If you’re in the restaurant business, then you may already know industry estimates have said restaurants will lose a shocking $240 Billion due to COVID-19. Despite scrambling to put safety measures in place so you can keep your staff healthy and stay in business—like extra cleaning, disposable menus, and requiring staff to wear masks—you still have some people who don’t feel comfortable dining out.

These guests might be enticed if they can be seated outside, where air flow is thought to cut down on the chance of the virus spreading from person to person (unlike air that gets recirculated indoors.) However, with temperatures dropping and winter coming, it’s going to be less likely that guests will want to sit outside in freezing temperatures or snowy conditions.

Outdoor Dining Domes Let Restaurant Guests Sit Outside in Any Weather

That’s where outdoor dining domes come into the picture.

In order to stay afloat, restaurants have been innovating new procedures and menus since pandemic shutdowns began. They have had to be creative, and one of their more creative measures is using dining bubbles to keep guests safe. Called by many names—bubbles, outdoor dining domes, igloos, and pods—these protective tents are saving restaurants through the winter of the coronavirus.

Although top restaurants had already used outdoor dining domes before the pandemic as a way to keep guests warm through the winter when seated outside, these bubble tents are now a key tool for restaurants to survive the pandemic. With the need for social distancing, restaurant igloos are proving themselves to be useful in keeping restaurant guests dining apart.

Not only do outdoor dining domes keep restaurant parties apart from others, preventing the spread of the coronavirus, but guests also love them. Restaurants have reported that reservations for the igloos have been constant (even some with waiting lists), and have kept patrons’ interest in eating out. Simply put, bubble tents are popular with restaurant guests, and they elevate the dining experience.

 

The Key to Outdoor Dining Domes Is Air Flow

Although bubble tents can keep parties separated, protect them from the weather, and are easy to clean between seatings, some cities have shut them down due to lack of airflow. However, the right outdoor dining dome allows air flow, which is the key to making sure the igloos don’t become just another indoor dining setup. With proper air flow through the bubble tent, guests are able to have a true outdoor dining experience—just a more sheltered one.

Outdoor dining domes will make a difference this winter for restaurants that want to stay open during the pandemic. Glamping Dome Store bubble tents are beautiful, durable, easy to clean, offer excellent air flow, and are the perfect solution for restaurants that want to cater to their guests all winter long. Click here to see sizes and specifications. Or, contact us to talk about the right dome for you.