Spring Break and the economy

By: Michelle Carolla | SCNow
Published: March 23, 2009

Many businesses are holding their breath this year waiting to see if spring breakers will make a trip to Myrtle Beach. The season runs through April and it's an important time for businesses hoping for a boost to their bottom line.
Several people representing different types of businesses at the beach say business is down from last year. Two popular spots in Myrtle Beach report March started off with a bang.
The Bagel Factory on 21st Avenue North is where Rueben Luster spends most of his time. He's a small business owner with big hopes for success. Luster bought the Bagel Factory two and half years ago before the economic crash. Now, he's creating incentives to bring in customers.
Luster’s January numbers were down 5 percent and February dropped 15 percent.
"If you don't run a special, it's probably pretty slow. You need to have something different everyday and that's what we've been doing."
Luster says fortunately, March is much busier and sales are up 3 percent so far. "We’ve had a good spring break and cheerleading events this weekend and last weekend,” said Luster. “March has been knock on wood, pretty good."
The Blarney Stone in Celebrity Square at Broadway at the Beach is another popular place for spring breakers. Manager Gary Gooden said so far so good this season. "Between the two, it might be down just a little bit, but other than that, in the circumstances, we're doing very well, we're meeting our budget from last year,” said Gooden.
While Luster and Gooden report sales are up, Brad Dean, president of The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce said most businesses are projecting levels at or below last year.
Marc Jordan at The North Myrtle Beach Chamber said they don't keep specific numbers but they're seeing a little more traffic on the beach.
Tom Moore, manager of The Hampton Inn on South Ocean Boulevard reported sales are down about 30 percent this year. His numbers are a little skewed due to the construction of a new tower. He says some people just didn’t want to stay in a construction area. He’s expecting sales to increase in April, once the tower opens April 2. April will set the tone for the summer season and we'll follow up on how Spring Break rounded out in about a month.

Spring Break and the economy

Spring Break Economy (Added: March 23, 2009)

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