MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. -- It's day two of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City and for many restaurants, it's the official kick off to the busy summer season.

• Tuesday was day 2 of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.
• The tournament does wonders for the local economy.
• It runs through Saturday.

Over at Southern Salt, Owner Sammy Boyd says his restaurant goes through thousands of pounds of shrimp, tuna, mahi, and flounder during the annual tournament.

He says it's an economic boost that his business relies on, each year.

The restaurant serves around 2,000 people a day during the event.

"Over the last eight years, the Big Rock has always been a big revenue point for us,” said Boyd. “For example, a number we would do say in March, we would probably do about four times the amount."

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament runs through Saturday.