REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — With the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean and waves crashing along the beach, visitors flock to the coast to kick off the season, and for many, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer.
“This weekend we're going to have some good food, hopefully. Looking for a good place to have some crabs,” said Shandi Ruffner, one of the many tourists arriving for the holiday weekend. “We’re going to maybe go out on a friend's boat tomorrow. And then do some shopping, walking around to the local shops and see what they have.”
One of Ruffner’s stops? The Coffee Mill, a longtime local favorite for caffeine and conversation. Co-owner Mel Damascena said the summer season is make-or-break for small businesses like his.
“What these next few months mean... a lot. Not just for us, but for everybody,” Damascena said. “This is the time that we are here. Now we gotta make it.”
Despite reports last year of a decline in Memorial Day Weekend tourism, with hotel bookings at their lowest point in over a decade, Damascena feels like every year gets busier.
“Even when it's raining, they come in for coffee,” he said. “Coffee is good any day of the week. And they go shopping. They go to the boutiques. They find something to do. They go to restaurants. The businesses need that because the off-season is long.”