Lucarelli in West Bromwich is a well-established Italian restaurant known for combining traditional recipes with contemporary flourishes. Add in the wide assortment of fresh-seasonal produce and ingredients and you see why the locals love to dine in this elegant establishment. Among their most popular offerings are the famous Bottomless Brunch, Sunday lunch and a highly creative a la carte menu.
How Pod Dining Elevated the Lucarelli Dining Experience
Italian cuisine is light, aromatic and traditional — three things which lend it to al fresco dining. When the restaurant wanted to secure regular bookings outdoors in all seasons, they searched for fully enclosed structures that would provide an elegant ambience in all weathers.
Lucarelli chose to enhance their current experience with dome dining delivered courtesy of a trio of Clear Hypedome S domes. The transparent design and weatherproofed construction help provide a sense of connection to the rest of the restaurant while also ensuring the intimacy of a private dining experience.
How West Bromwich Diners Embrace Pod Dining
Interestingly, the majority of Lucarelli’s outdoor bookings are for parties of 4 or more guests, with 6-8 guests being very common. This is because their venue has long been the destination of choice for family meals, birthday celebrations and group gatherings for work and pleasure. Up to 9 guests can be comfortably seated in a single restaurant pod, allowing for plenty of flexibility for groups of a range of sizes. And to give you an idea on what people like about dome dining in Lucarelli, here are a couple of recent reviews:
“We had a birthday celebration in one of the domes. We had never been to Lucarellis’ before and I would like to let you all know our first visit will definitely not be our last. We are in the process of planning that next visit right now. Thank you for the delicious food, your hospitality & ambience, we are looking forward to seeing you all again soon.” – Janet
“Lucrarelli is amazing – we celebrated my mom’s 80th birthday in a dome in the garden. The staff were amazingly helpful, the food was gorgeous and they gave my mom her pudding as a birthday present. Recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Italian food.” – Jane
Outdoor dining pods have enabled this beautiful Italian restaurant to generate additional bookings on a regular and consistent basis, regardless of the weather. Since they started back in April 2021, they’ve kept their transparent dining domes open right throughout the year. They typically get anywhere from 60-100 outdoor bookings with their domes per month, and in some months this number has been as high as 180 bookings. A steady return on their initial investment that’s certainly proven popular with local residents and visitors from further afield.
What are the Advantages of Pod Dining for a Restaurant Like Lucarelli?
Rearranging a restaurant’s outdoor space with dining pods is a proven source of regular income that provides more covers in all types of weather. There are also a range of other benefits for more discerning diners who want to be able to enjoy something more adaptable to their needs.
Domes allow for a close and intimate experience with everyone around the table, all while being free from external distractions and noise. This is perfect for family gatherings where you want to feel like you have the personal touch of dining at home, combined with the elegance of professionally prepared cuisine. The use of transparent domes ensures a seamless connection to the beautiful surroundings while also providing robust and comfortable shelter from the elements.
Why is Pod Dining Here to Stay, Rather Than Just a Trend?
Lucarelli’s experience with Hypedome shows that this is an outdoor dining format that is only just getting started. While many venues experimented with outdoor dining during the lockdown restrictions of a few years ago, pod dining is an elegant and refined experience that is more sophisticated.
The elements can be kept at bay, the robust structure is ideal for extended outdoor use, and the dome’s striking appearance is perfect for marketing to a wider audience. The clear design is also particularly well suited to illuminating the interior in a way that adds to the overall ambience of the restaurant. As Lucarelli’s has shown, this is a proven way to connect outdoor dining pods to the wider ambience and aesthetics of the establishment.
How Does Pod Dining Help Restaurants in Other Locations?
Lucarelli’s experience is just one example of the results elegant outdoor dining domes can deliver. The Ye Olde Bridge Inn Igloo Restaurant brought in almost 600 additional alfresco guests in one month, completely transforming the number of covers they were able to turn over. Then there’s the outdoor dining domes in SanKai Sushi Restaurant that helped turn a very limited outdoor space into a new source of revenue.
As well as simply providing additional seating, pod dining is a highly visually striking addition to any restaurant. The domes can be lit up at night, used to create engaging new social content, and act as something of a talking point to those dining in the rest of the restaurant.
Using Hypedome to boost your covers, bring more people to your door and make your marketing stand out is as simple as getting in touch. Our team is always ready and waiting to talk you through your options so you’re always the local area’s go-to destination. Even an unpredictable weather forecast won’t be able to slow you down!