MADISON, Wis.– A local restaurant is one of the latest patios to keep customers warm in igloos.
Staff at ZuZu Cafe guessed back in July that winter would bring a new set of challenges.
“We thought the pandemic was going to last longer than what we’ve been told,” Managing Partner Sabri Darsouni said.
With capacity limitations forcing more customers to dine outside, ZuZu Cafe invested in ways to keep the patio warm. They bought igloos, plastic tents designed to shelter customers from the cold.
“We barely have anyone sitting inside at this point,” Darsouni said. “It’s extending the outdoor dining experience for people. This is the intent, really just to get people to come in and be able to sit outside without being too cold.”
The igloos are intended for people of the same household. If friends are meeting up, there are other tables surrounded by heat lamps.
“It was kind of cold this morning. So, I thought this would be a nice place to come and see if it keeps you warm and it does,” Robert Greenberg, a customer, said. “You get toasty in here. You start shedding clothes as if you were working out.”
With no complaints, Greenberg said the igloos would be a nice addition on all patios this winter.
“I, for one, don’t want to go inside restaurants, but I want to be able to go to restaurants and this would and could make the difference,” Greenberg said.
ZuZu Cafe isn’t alone. Plastic tents are popping up at restaurants in cities across the United States.
Zuzu Cafe’s summer prediction could make it one of the warmest places to dine in Madison this winter.
“So far it’s been a successful thing,” Darsouni said. “We’re hoping that it will last for a long time.”
If the weather permits it, Darsouni said he hopes the igloos stay up until December.
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