Nothing succeeds like success, as the saying goes. In business, we are advised to repeat patterns of success. The food service industry is subject to the same principles. Many industry-specific methods follow the same pattern. Usually, one restaurateur will start doing things a certain way, restaurant row waits to see if it works and then imitates it.
As winter approaches, many restaurants, especially those that are still doing fine dining, are welcoming guests once again to outdoor tables in what have become known as “igloos.”
In the fall of 2020 and through the winter of 2021, we were ordered outside in weather we had not considered suitable for outdoor dining. And we survived. Not only that, but we enjoyed it. So, when the news arrived that some of the state’s restaurants were again offering the igloos, it was welcome news.
The Coast Guard House in Narragansett is putting up an igloo neighborhood this year. The popular seaside venue has the right ingredients: a spectacular view, attentive service and a destination that diners want to revisit, even in the offseason.
In years past, the prefabricated structures proved to be wildly popular and popped up everywhere from Woonsocket to Westerly. They seat two to as many as 10 diners. As they have evolved, the little spaces have taken on some style. At the Ocean House in Westerly in 2021, there were repurposed ski gondolas. A trio of luxuriously appointed shelters – with a Cinderella coach aspect to them – were a big hit that winter. There has been no word on if they are returning this year.
The igloos at the Coast Guard House are styled as luxury cabanas with resort-style appointments and a tiki-type motif. They are lit up, heated and all are sanitized after each use for guests to enjoy.
The igloos at the Coast Guard House require more advanced notice for online reservations. In other words, walk-ins or reservations too close to closing are not taken. An igloo reservation is for a specific length of time, for example 2 hours and 20 minutes. The igloo is only available for the timeframe of the reservation. There may be a minimum fee of $100, plus tax, which covers the use of the igloo for the listed time. The fee is paid when the reservation is made.
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WELCOME RETURN: Igloos at the Coast Guard House in Narragansett, which allow guests to eat outside in cold weather, are styled as luxury cabanas with resort-style appointments and a tiki-type motif.
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The venue instructs the guest to make sure all guests arrive on time, as the end time cannot be extended. Reservations can be modified or canceled for a full refund up to one week before the reservation date. If the reservation is canceled with less than seven days’ notice, or there is a no-show, the deposit is forfeited and will not be returned. (This is becoming a common practice for tables in conventional dining rooms as well.)
What is interesting to note is a couple of local spots that offered igloos are no longer in existence, such as Gurney’s Newport, which decorated its igloo cluster with cozy decor and blankets and offered a special menu, including bruschetta grilled cheese. The restaurant is closed for renovations after it was sold. Huck’s Filling Station in East Greenwich, which offered a themed dinner series and seasonal shared plates, is also no more.
Nothing may succeed like success, but nothing guarantees it either. Successful restaurants prove every day and night that success is served on the plate and requires hard work.
“Dining Out With Bruce Newbury,” syndicated weekly on radio, can be heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Indiana. Contact Bruce at bruce@brucenewbury.com.
