Igloo News

Rooftop bubble bars with igloos return to Dallas for Christmas holiday

Cozy igloos let you imbibe under the winter sky.

Adolphus

Dallas' coolest holiday bar phenomenon is back: Rooftop "bubble bars" featuring cozy igloos are returning, with installations at three Dallas-area hotels.

Rooftop igloo bars are a trend that first bubbled up in Dallas in 2019, then surged in 2020 during the cautious pandemic days, when people were trying to find ways to be social during coronavirus times, before blossoming into their own full-blown sizzling-hot thing.

Also referred to as garden igloos, these "bubbles" are like plastic caves, like a geodesic dome, where you can hang out and imbibe under the winter sky, protected by your bubble from the elements.

Three locations have set the stage for bubble bars in 2021, including two in downtown Dallas and the other in Historic Downtown Grapevine, as follows:

Waterproof Lounge
Waterproof, the rooftop bar on the 19th floor of the Statler Dallas hotel in downtown Dallas, pioneered the rooftop igloo bar in Dallas in 2019, and brings it back for 2021 with a thematic twist.

Dubbed "Winterproof," the installation will observe a ski lodge theme: The bartenders will be "ski instructors" and the waitresses will be "ski bunnies," while the interior will have a ski-lodge-like decor.

The igloos, called Snow Clouds, come in two sizes — one large and three not-as-large — as follows:

Large Snow Cloud can accommodate a party of eight. Nicknamed "Cloud 19," it starts at $500 for two hours.
Small Snow Clouds fit two to four people and begin at $300 for two hours.

The igloos must be reserved in advance, and there's a two-hour minimum. Make reservations here.

Miracle on Commerce
Illuminated igloos return to The Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas, who are transforming their rooftop into a winter wonderland, with cozy cabins, illuminated igloos, warm boozy cocktails, and tableside smores, as part of the hotel's much larger annual celebration of the holidays.

The igloos debuted November 17 and will be available through January 30.

Their poolside cabanas are now poolside "cabins" with miniature hearths, and they have 8 igloos ready for groups to reserve. They'll also bring back their miniature curling rink, for that Winter Olympics vibe.

Igloos and cabins are available by reservation only, Wednesday-Saturday nights, with two seatings:

Early (4-7:30 pm)

Small Cabins (2 - 4 people) - $200 rental comes with one bottle of Sparkling Wine
Large Cabins (2 - 8 people) - $350 rental comes with two bottles of Sparkling Wine
Igloo (2 - 4 people) - $300 rental comes with a bottle of Premium Sparkling Wine

Late (8 pm to "late")

Small Cabins (2 - 4 people) - $300 rental comes with one bottle of Sparkling Wine
Large Cabins (2 - 8 people) - $450 rental comes with two bottles of Sparkling Wine
Igloo (2 - 4 people) - $400 rental comes with a bottle of Premium Sparkling Wine

A special holiday menu will include spirited holiday cocktails such as the Honey Bear Eggnog and Kentucky Hot Coco, plus bite-sized snacks such as Merry Mac & Cheese Balls and Señor Santo’s Tamale Bites.

Additional seating areas are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. So you can come and watch other people having fun inside their igloos. Maybe stand right outside and gaze in longingly.

Hotel Vin
The 120-room boutique hotel in downtown Grapevine that's home to Bacchus Kitchen + Bar and Harvest Hall brings back their rooftop "bubbles," located on the Rioja Rooftop Terrace, the hotel's fourth-floor terrace bar.

They'll debut on November 26.

They have eight bubbles total. Each seats up to 6-8 guests. They come with blankets and heaters to keep your party warm, and if you want service, you press a button and the bubbles light up to alert hotel staff.

This year, they've formalized with three official options:

Happy Hour Bubble, 4-5 pm. Bring your bubble to our bubbles for a one-hour experience to enjoy drinks and fondue! We get you started with a bottle of Seguras Viudas Heredad Cava. $100
Two-Hour Bar Bubble, 5:30 or 8 pm. Same as the happy hour bubble, just more time to enjoy your bubble.
Full Dining Bubble, 5:30 or 8 pm. Seasonally inspired three-course dinner, comes with a bottle of wine. Dinner is $150 per person, with a minimum of 4 guests.

You can make your reservation online at www.opentable.com/r/rioja-rooftop-bar-grapevine.

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Drone News

Chipotle restaurant chain is testing drone delivery starting in Dallas

Zipline

Zipline making a Chipotle delivery

National restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing drone delivery, starting here in Dallas. The company is partnering with Zipline, the world's largest autonomous delivery system, on a new service offering called Zipotle, that will drop burritos and a side of guacamole right onto customers' front doors.

According to a release, the service starts on August 21 at 12 pm, with the first location in Rowlett, at 3109 Lakeview Pkwy., when a small number of burrito lovers in the area can access the Zipotle service, with a broader launch in the coming weeks.

The new Zipotle delivery option will use Zipline's fleet of quiet, zero-emissions aircraft, to make fast, convenient deliveries — saving' time and keeping orders "dine-in fresh."

The Zipline procedure is as follows:

Eligible customers in the Rowlett area can download the Zipline app on the Apple store or Android store and place their Chipotle order.
Chipotle employees place the prepared order into a kiosk-like "Zipping Point," which allows Zips to pick up the order for delivery.
After flying to the customer address, the aircraft will hover about 300 feet in the air, while the Zip lowers to the ground.
The Zip automatically avoids obstacles and gently and precisely places the order at the guest's address.

They use cameras, sensors, and Nvidia chips to avoid obstacles while making a delivery. There's a video of it here.

Zipline droneZipline

Zipline is a San Francisco-based startup that's been working with chains like Sweetgreen and Panera Bread, as well as hospitals and medical companies to deliver medicine and other products. According to the release, they began making autonomous deliveries of medical products to rural hospitals in Rwanda and deliver to roughly 5,000 hospitals and health facilities around the world. Their electric drones can carry up to 8 pounds, travel up to 24 miles, and deliver up to seven times faster than cars stuck in traffic.

This is not the first time that Chipotle has made efforts to deliver by drone: In 2016, they experimented with a similar venture, partnered with Google's parent company, Alphabet, which was only able to make deliveries to a centralized site on the campus of Virginia Tech.

Zipline has already been in Dallas-Fort Worth since March in a partnership with Walmart, when it launched its first full-service operation in Mesquite. Customers within a two-mile radius of the Walmart Supercenter on Highway 80 in Mesquite have been able to receive drone deliveries of over 65,000 products. The service has expanded locally to places like Fort Worth and Waxahachie, and in June, Walmart and Zipline expanded to five other metroplex areas including Houston.

"With Zipline, you tap a button, and minutes later food magically appears - hot, fresh, and ultra-fast," says Zipline CEO and co-founder Keller Rinaudo Cliffton. "Starting today, families in the Dallas area can have food delivered by Zipotle and served for lunch or dinner. What once felt like science fiction is soon going to become totally normal."

Zipline designs, manufactures and operates its autonomous aircraft, pioneering the use of physical AI in commercial last mile logistics. Zipline delivery is extraordinarily quiet and barely noticeable, and food arrives restaurant-fresh – even in wind, rain, cold or Texas summer heat – thanks to its speed and built-in insulation.

Initially, Zipotle will carry orders up to 5.5 pounds and will increase to 8 pounds over time.

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