No place like dome: Check out these creative outdoor dining spaces in Kelowna

• How geodesic domes help hospitality industry amid the pandemic
• More and more places adopting outdoor dining in winter

These bubbles are here to stay in Kelowna, and we’re not just referring to sparkling wine.

More and more restaurants in the Okanagan are enjoying the benefits of weather-proofed outdoor eating areas, allowing them to serve guests comfortably during the winter.

Some restaurants are accomplishing this with geodesic domes, which are large transparent bubbles with a full table inside.

“It’s like you’re sitting in your own personal raindrop,” Kiera, a server at Frind Estate Winery told Kelowna10. Frind has unveiled their patio domes for the second year.

The estate has invested in 14 handmade domes from Lithuania. Comprised of transparent hexagonal panels, it takes about four days to assemble.

Karen, another server at Frind, said the domes add to the atmosphere.

“They look like they’re floating on the patio. The guests in them look like people in snow globes.”

Since the domes allow restaurants to increase their capacity in a socially distant way, they have helped an industry significantly impacted by the pandemic.

“Restaurants have taken a big hit no matter which way you look at it,” Paul Henbury, the Hospitality Manager at Frind, said.

“Restaurants work on a very small profit margin as a rule and [COVID-19] has made it tougher for sure,” he added.

Capacity rules, spacing, and other restrictions have had a financial impact on hospitality.

David Foot, the executive chef at Oak + Cru, said the pandemic ate into his customer base and that meant job losses.

“The pandemic wreaked havoc on the entire industry. We lost 50 percent of our workforce, and more than 50 percent of our clients coming into our restaurant.”

Oak + Cru is also bringing back their geodesic domes for the second time. As part of their Luminescence event, their domes are made of insulated plastic and each bubble has two heaters and blankets.

Another benefit is with more people being served throughout the year; it creates more job opportunities for wait staff who previously could have been let go due to lack of work.

When asked if they planned to continue setting up their domes every year, with or without COVID-19 restrictions, both Oak + Cru and Frind said they aren't going anywhere.