LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Making up for lost seating is the restaurant game in 2020 where COVID-19 safety protocols have reduced inside capacity by half.

In an effort to help local businesses, communities loosened regulations permitting additional outdoor seating on sidewalks, parking lots and even adjacent streets for parklets.

Then theres the Georgetown restaurant, which unknowingly started planning for a pandemic a few years ago when hoping to extend the outdoor patio season it added a handful of outdoor igloos to its courtyard located at 18515 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood.

My brother, Ryan, and I work hard to be the trendsetters in the area, said Jennifer Krivosh Pressnell about the family-owned business. We started igloos at Georgetown three years ago and theyve been a hit for all ages.

Its just the newest trend. People are looking for something different and something fun to do with their friends. We have little heaters that keep everybody warm. We decorate the igloos based on the holiday -- Halloween, Christmas, Valentines Day and St. Patricks Day.

At a cost of $2,500 when you include furnishings, each igloo provides up to eight patrons with a warm, cozy and personal experience.

The igloos have been a great way to make up for the lost seating in the restaurant due to the COVID guidelines, Pressnell said. As a former registered respiratory therapist for the Cleveland Clinic, I knew we had to do whatever we could to keep our guests as safe as possible during the pandemic.

We decided to invest in an electrostatic sprayer. We sanitize the igloos between seatings and also spray the restaurant nightly. Were going above and beyond to keep our staff and guests safe.

While a bit costly with a two-hour $40 rental fee and minimum spending amount that ranges from $125 weekdays to $250 on the weekends, the Georgetown igloos are currently booked through February.

Prior to the pandemic, Georgetown had a capacity of roughly 120 people, which was reduced to 60 patrons due to COVID-19 safety protocols. Pressnell said due to the igloos and any customer overflow being moved into the contiguous Vosh nightclub, capacity is at roughly pre-pandemic levels.

Now the family is also adding another handful of circular shacks to its other nearby establishment Around The Corner, which is located across the street.

The new igloos require a two-hour $40 rental fee, which includes a minimum spending amount of $100 weekdays and $200 on the weekends.

Our igloos sold out so quickly at Georgetown, we decided to purchase more Around The Corner, Pressnell said. Its a great time just hanging out.

Read more news from the Sun Post Herald here.

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Lakewoods Georgetown finds success with heated igloos; owners adding more outdoor amenities to Around The Co - cleveland.com