WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Between winter weather and the pandemic, the owner of Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines has introduced eating outside in an igloo as an option for his customers.
"Right now we're at 50 percent [capacity] and that's about you know 10 to 12 tables, different tables, that we can't have," Peter Faber said.
Tables, he mentioned, which have been out of commission since the middle of 2020.
But he will be getting four tabletops back, because outside on the patio he placed four plastic igloo structures. Each igloo can sit eight customers
"So the reason that I want to do them is, give some people an opportunity to do something different," Faber said.
In addition to giving people new opportunities, he hopes the seating options draw in more customers to eat on location and bring back some revenue.
To make the igloos inviting to customers, Faber and his team outfitted the structures with chairs, a table, a heater and an air purifier for anyone concerned about the air quality.
"It's a medical-grade air purifier," Faber said. "We know that people are going to be hesitant about COVID so every time we have a party we clean it and sanitize it."
Booking an igloo also includes a special menu.
"We basically figured out a way to make it an exclusive experience," Faber said.
The cost is $200 to rent, and you can do so here. During the reservation process, customers can choose food, dessert and drink options