SEASIDE, Fla. (WMBB) — Spring break season is the bread and butter of Seaside businesses.
The popular tourist destination brings students from all across the southeast and with them their wallets.
Local businesses said March and April are the most lucrative months of the year.
“It definitely gives us a boost,” Cabana Sales Associate Ellen Caruso said. “It’s a good beginning of the year boost for our sales. It kind of pushes us through and gets us over the slow season that we recently experienced through all the winter and everything.”
The manager of the Seaside Yacht Club said March sales can be more than five times what they are in February.
“This is where we really honestly make the money that we’re going to make per year,” Seaside Yacht Club Manager Hayes Eckert said. “Summer is always crazy, but spring break is really where we get all of our big business. This week is huge because there’s almost like ten states here at once. Next week is going to be a little bit slow, but these couple of months we’re just going to be super busy.”
Eckert said the recognizable Seaside logo on items like sweatshirts and water bottles can be part of what drives tourism to the area.
“People talk about how it’s their favorite place to come and shop and to go to the beach and all that,” Eckert said.
Spring breakers said they have never not seen a line out the door to get into The Seaside Style store.
“Oh, it’s crazy,” Lulu Pittillo said. “It takes like 20 minutes to get in and then the lines to check out is like 20 more minutes.”
Workers said it is all hands on deck during the spring break season to keep up with the crowds.
Officials said the heavy Seaside spring break crowds will continue through mid-April with an 8:00 p.m. curfew for minors in place until April 15.
