OCEAN CITY, MD – As Labor Day weekend comes to a close, Ocean City’s boardwalk businesses have noticed a shift in this year’s summer season.
Gokmen Aksu, who runs North Pole Lemonade on the boardwalk, has seen a change in visitor numbers.
“Businesses has been for us in this location, great – our other location is doing good, but generally the town needs more people. We have less people than there used to be, like last summer or two summers ago.” said Aksu.
Jackie Merritt, manager of Talbot St Coffee, also expected more business but found that it hasn’t been as busy as anticipated. She attributed this partly to high gas prices and the broader economic climate.
However, despite the variations in business, snack vendors like Fisher’s Popcorn have continued to see demand. Erin Soriano, the manager, noted that beachgoers return often for popcorn refills, providing steady business compared to some shops that have seen less activity.
“They’re bringing it back multiple times during a trip – so that’s how we get return business. But a T-shirt shop or something like that they’re buying a shirt so it’s kind of just a one and done.”
While Labor Day often marks the symbolic end of summer, many Ocean City boardwalk businesses stay open until October. It remains to be seen how the rest of the summer season will play out as crowds wind down.
Read More: Ocean City Businesses Head Towards Summers End | Latest News