Ye Olde Bridge Inn is an award-winning family pub nestled in the heart of Nottinghamshire, England. On the menu is everything from afternoon tea and a classic Sunday roast to vibrant and contemporary street kitchen food. The result is a charming and cosy environment that’s designed to make you feel at home while also providing the perfect setting for hosting when you want to really make an impression.
How dome dining changed Ye Olde Bridge Inn
After starting with dome dining in November 2022, in December alone they took 167 extra bookings for their new igloo restaurant concept. When you think that this adds up to 574 guests who wouldn’t have otherwise visited, you see the impact thinking differently can have.
They started relatively modestly with 3 transparent Hypedome S domes and due to the quick success and demand they experienced a large Hypedome M will be arriving soon. They’re looking to use this larger dome so their igloo restaurant can cater for bigger reunions and functions with up to 14 guests.
A great example of how the pub has used its striking dining domes to act as the centrepiece for a new marketing campaign.
How does an igloo restaurant elevate winter outdoor dining?
The beauty of igloo restaurants is that the pod dining concept they’re based around works in all seasons. You can add so many more covers and welcome plenty more guests by expanding the number of tables in a way that’s not at the mercy of the elements. There is also the wow factor of adding something striking and contemporary to an otherwise traditional setting.
Ye Olde Bridge Inn’s winter outdoor dining experience is designed to keep diners connected with the outdoors while keeping them warm and cosy. Balance is achieved by outfitting the domes in a manner befitting the overall vibe and mood of the rest of the building. This allows patrons to sit and relax while taking in a new and modern setting served by a team that cares about the finer points of family pub dining.
What do Nottinghamshire diners make of this new concept?
A quick look online is all it takes to see what the local community has to say. Here’s a couple that recently caught our eye…
“We dined in one of the domes for my mum’s birthday and she absolutely loved it. Service was impeccable, friendly and fast. The food was beautiful, and eating in the dome was a great experience, my mum absolutely loved it. 10/10 would recommend and will be recommending to friends and family too. Thank you very much!” – Stacey
“I went here with 7 friends, had a great night 🌙, excellent food, atmosphere was amazing 👏 and our waiting staff were just amazing and so accommodating, they couldn’t do enough for us 😊. Would definitely go back!” – Denise
How does pod dining bring more people through the door?
By creating an outdoor igloo restaurant you can add an eye-catching visual to your marketing and social media content. This means you increase your chances of standing out online, while also making sure you secure a higher number of bookings throughout the seasons.
Winter often brings with it wind and the occasional heavy downpour in this part of England, so being able to offer more covers in the cold months is a real plus. Not only that, you can also draw more people in throughout the rest of the year by providing a truly memorable experience.
The team at Ye Olde Bridge Inn has created spaces where the standards of indoor winter dining are effortlessly maintained under the dome. This gives everyone who visits a culinary journey they won’t forget any time soon, while also setting them apart from some stiff competition in the local area. With this type of forward-thinking approach to hosting and hospitality, we’re not surprised they were voted Nottinghamshire’s Pub of the Year for 2023.
Do igloo restaurants boost covers in other locations?
You only have to look at the success of outdoor dining at 1051 GWR in Glasgow to see that pod dining is a concept that’s really making an impact. Or maybe you want to see how igloo dining at Taypark House in Dundee works. It’s still new and fresh enough to offer something different, and yet the level of sophistication and comfort you can provide means it’s so much more than the temporary winter shelters of years gone by.
If you’d like to see how you can use Hypedome to increase your footfall, boost your marketing and serve more covers all year round, we’re only too happy to help. Prepare your outdoors for changing weather and ensure your restaurant stays red-hot with customers, no matter the forecast!