Jersey Shore businesses report economic upswing from Memorial Day Weekend
The crowds have thinned a bit down the shore compared to the busy holiday weekend, and despite some early concerns and economic uncertainty, many businesses are reporting a strong start to the season.
Inside the Surf Mall at T-Shirt World in Ocean City, New Jersey, Rafael Roman was moving at full steam working the heat press. Roman was putting decals on shorts and sweatpants to restock the inventory.
"Seeing the whole boardwalk filled with everybody, we were just like, 'Yeah we're back, summer is back, like, let's go!'" Roman said. "We missed it."
CBS Philadelphia
Tuesday meant back to work and school for many people, but there was still a decent crowd on the boardwalk as some families extended their stay down the shore.
With the weather being a bit chilly to jump in the ocean, some businesses say that meant more people were on the boardwalk shopping and spending money.
"It was booming up here on the boardwalk all day, and the nighttime was still fine, it was just exceptionally strong during the day," said Wes Kazmarck, the president of the Ocean City Boardwalk Merchants Association.
Kazmarck owns businesses in Ocean City, as well as Stone Harbor and Sea Isle. He said all three spots were busy.
"We were cautiously optimistic, and it was a great start. We are really excited, and I think any concerns anyone had, I think everyone is pretty pumped for the summer to get rolling now," Kazmarck said.
CBS Philadelphia
"They had a beautiful weekend down here, I heard it was gorgeous," said Peggy Waters, who lives in Bryn Mawr.
Waters' her vacation was just getting started. She decided to avoid the crowds and the traffic, and for the third year in a row she hit the shops after Memorial Day.
"So tomorrow we will probably go over to the casino and spend the day over there and then have dinner somewhere. We might go to a movie too," Waters said.
The Ocean City Chamber of Commerce said hotels and motels also saw a busy weekend, and occupancy was at 85-90%, which is up from last year's Memorial Day weekend.
Businesses are now hoping the momentum continues through summer.
"Just seeing how this Memorial Day weekend was, I feel as though we're going to have a good summer, 100%," Roman said.
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