PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Spring break season is back across Tampa Bay.
“We’re ready for our visitors,” said Clyde Smith, general manager of Bilmar Beach Resort and Sloppy Joe’s.
After the hurricanes, businesses couldn’t fathom we’d be at this place just five months later, although they were hopeful.
“It was a very difficult fall and winter for so many of our businesses and employees and residents,” said Smith.
Businesses are relying on spring break now more than ever.
“Spring break is really critical this year,” said Smith.
It’s taken around-the-clock hard work to get our beaches back to where they are now.
That’s why the City of Treasure Island is ready to welcome spring breakers back.
“There’s still a misconception out there through social media and stuff that Treasure Island and some of our beaches are still destroyed and not open, and that’s just not true. We are open,” said Jason Beisel with the City of Treasure Island.
“So much work has been done. We’ve already had five weddings now at the Bilmar so that alone is exciting and back to what we want to do and what we do best. So I think you’re going to see more coming. Every single day, it changes now,” said Smith.
Businesses in Clearwater Beach want you to know they’re open, too.
“It’s our busiest time of the year. It’s really where it’s our bread and butter and everything, so we really need these months,” said Chris Tiemeier, general manager of Frenchy’s Rockaway.
The restaurant has been busy—a good sign for the rest of spring break.
“It’s been great. It started pretty much the same time as always, right around Valentine’s Day. The Phillies fans got down here, and they’ve been awesome,” said Tiemeier.
He also can’t believe how far we’ve come since the storms.
“You feel like it's never going to happen once the storm hits. We’ve never had a storm like that before, and it felt really devastating,” said Tiemeier.
That’s why to get to this place where they’re welcoming back visitors is so exciting.
But spring break doesn’t only impact shops directly on the beach.
Places a little more inland rely on this time of year too, like The Fix coffee shop in Palm Harbor.
“It’s huge. I mean, not only do we have spring break, we have Valspar, we have spring training, we have all that. So many people come here and visit,” said Mackenzie Thorburn, owner of The Fix.
The Fix is nearing its three-year anniversary, thanks to community support.
“The community has opened up so much to us and we’re getting ready to actually expand into beer and wine at night, so working hard on that,” said Thorburn.
She told ABC Action News this is their busy season.
“Snowbirds, spring breakers, they continue to come every year, so that’s really great,” said Thorburn.
Across our community, recovery is still ongoing, impacting all businesses differently— whether they were directly impacted by the hurricanes or not. This spring break is a massive milestone.
“We’re really excited and ready for it,” said Smith.
“These businesses want to start bringing people back and get back to where they were,” said Beisel.
