SURF CITY, N.C. — As the summer season comes to a close, many coastal businesses are prepping for the down season following the summer rush. 

What You Need To Know

  • Tourist season is typically marked from Memorial Day to Labor Day
  • Coastal towns make their year’s worth of money during the four months of tourist season
  • Businesses across the coast say they saw more tourists this summer than were originally anticipated

On the unofficial last day of summer, Cody Leutgens is helping his kitchen staff prep. He says this summer was one of the best they’ve had. 

“The summer season in Surf City was hot. It was really, really hot, but it went really well. I think the influx of tourists was better than anticipated," Leutgens said. "I think that initially we weren’t sure how it would go, but judging by other area businesses, other people in the area, the rental companies, everybody’s been like, ‘yep, numbers are up, up, up.'”

And they were ready for those numbers because of good prep work. 

“The summer, it does get difficult because obviously the crowds come in and you’ve got to, you know, be ready for that. And we do that by hiring pretty much anybody who’s ready to work hard,” Leutgens said. 

A strong staff was a nice advantage when the crowds came through. 

“This year was probably our best summer with staffing. It seemed like we didn’t have those days where you’re just getting phone calls, ‘Hey, you got to come here and help with this,’” Leutgens said. 

Leutgens says the biggest thing coastal businesses worry about is making enough money in the summer to make it through the rest of the year. 

“It goes without saying that, you know, you don’t even have to be from a tourist area to know that if you have a business in a coastal environment or a place where, you know, you get three or four months to make your list, the money you make in July pays, you know, your bills in December and that’s true,” Leutgens said. 

After a record summer, Leutgens and his staff are ready to enjoy their summer. He says a lot of people call September and October the locals’ summer. 

“We surf for a change. We go hang out with our families, make us do things that you want to do all summer long. When your friends say, ‘Hey, we’re going to the beach for the day.’ You want to go and you’re like, ‘I’ll see you in September.’ So that’s what we’re looking forward to now,” Leutgens said.

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