Charlotte Restaurant Finds Unique Way To Safely Serve Customers

The pandemic has hit businesses hard this year, especially in the restaurant industry. Many were forced to shut down amid quarantines, and some ended up closing permanently. Now that some areas are lifting restrictions, restaurants are figuring out how to navigate opening back up to customers. One Charlotte restaurant has come up with a unique way for customers to safely enjoy a dine-in meal.

The Goodyear House in NoDa is offering its patrons a chance to eat inside an igloo. The large plastic bubbles, with its own personal heater, covers picnic tables on the patio for a closed-off dining experience.

"We're doing our part to control it (the coronavirus pandemic)," said General Manager Sean Potter. He said that everything the restaurant is doing focuses on how they can navigate the pandemic, including spending $1,400 for each of the four igloos they currently have.

Potter said they want to ensure they can operate as a business, but in a safe way. Even though the igloo separates the group from the rest of the diners, masks, social distancing, and sanitizing will still be enforced.

"The more that you can socially distance, the better, and what's more socially distant than eating in a bubble?" he said.

The igloos will be sanitized and disinfected after each use to ensure health and safety for all who use it. Reservations for the igloos will soon cost $25, and proceeds will go toward local charities.

Potter hopes to add more igloos to the Goodyear House, but he is currently on a waiting list.

Photo: Getty Images