After 2 years of pandemic living our lifestyle changes have grown and adapted. Along with these changes, our choices of where to eat have transformed as well, with new questions to be addressed before planning our next meal, such as:
- Does the restaurant have patio seating?
- Do they offer take out?
- Are they conscious about social distancing?
Our number one priority at GYH has always been the guest’s experience. The idea struck in the winter of 2020 to provide an extra layer to our outside dining offerings. Not only did we expand our extended patio with the construction of our greenhouse, but we were the first to offer a unique, truly seasonal experience to our guests.
Enter Igloo Dining: your own private space to celebrate, reconnect or simply enjoy a wonderful meal. As the first restaurant in the area to adapt this kind of dining experience, a lot of thought went into the planning of how the igloos would logistically work. From sanitizing the domes, to the reservations system, to the logistics of service itself, we planned and planned, but ultimately faked it until we made it, learning on the fly. As the popularity of the igloos themselves grew, requests for them went through the roof. As should be expected, we started seeing no shows and last minute cancellations. Hence, the need to start charging a reservation fee to ensure that folks would show up for their reserved table.
One of the core values of Goodyear is to BUILD THE LEGACY, which to us means supporting the community, both inside and outside of the house. As a restaurant group we love the community of Charlotte and NoDa to our core. The introduction of the igloo reservation fee instantly presented an opportunity for our business to give back. 100 percent of the reservation fee goes to Goodyear Giving, our registered 501(c)(3) non profit. This idea seeks to funnel our charitable giving to organizations both domestic and international that we think are doing good work. The popularity of the igloos coupled with this fee has allowed us to raise enough funds to partner with the international group, buildOn. A team from GYH and our sister restaurant, Old Town Kitchen & Cocktails (Rock Hill, SC), will be accompanying buildOn this spring to build a school in a remote village of Nicaragua!
The igloos have proven to be a popular dining option when the weather gets chillier. They provide a unique, private experience and that is exactly what the public has been looking for during the ongoing pandemic. Lately, we’ve received SO much press about them which leads us to think that the public is equally, if not more, invested in our igloos.
We hope they continue to be a winter tradition here at the GYH. Igloo reservations will be available until mid-March. If you would like to book an igloo please visit our igloo-dedicated Open Table page, Igloos at Goodyear House. Using this platform will help you to see what availability we have and what time frames are available for booking. Thanks as always for being a member of the GYH Fam. Your continued support means the world to us.
xoxo
GYH