Markus Ripperger first conceived of Igloo Village at 75 on Liberty Wharf – the restaurant’s cluster of eight heated, self-contained plastic bubbles designed for private outdoor dining – about two years ago, but the dream didn’t become reality until this past fall when the restaurant was looking for unique ways to stay in business amid the pandemic.
Ripperger, president and CEO of Hampshire House Corporation, which owns and operates the Seaport restaurant, as well as 75 Chestnut and Cheers Beacon Hill, said the first bubble, which measures around 12 feet in diameter, arrived from Florida-based Gardenigloo USA in October and was soon deemed such a success that 75 on Liberty Wharf ordered eight more that arrived in early December.
“As a small restaurant, we wanted something so we can continue having people enjoy outdoor dining, even though the summer season is no more…[so] we’ve reinvented our outside tables for the wintertime,” Ripperger said. “People love to have something new, especially in this crazy year…and it’s also extremely safe because you’re sitting in a private igloo by yourself with a party of six or less.”
The bubbles, which are equipped with interior lighting for nighttime use, are open for lunch, brunch and dinner, seven days a week, Ripperger said, providing an ideal and serene setting for celebrating a birthday or anniversary, enjoying dinner with the family or just having a night out on the town, and each one comes with a Bluetooth speaker that enables diners to enjoy the music of their choice while inside their bubbles. Moreover, the restaurant is offering “Bubbly Brunch in the Bubble” – a lavish brunch spread in the bubble with bottles of bubbly and surf-and-turf Eggs Benedict. Bubbles at Igloo Village at 75 on Liberty Wharf can be reserved at no cost by visiting http://75onlibertywharf.com/reservations/, or by requesting “outdoor dining” on the Open Table app.