Jersey Shore Merchants Hope For Strong Start To Summer
By Mike DeNardo
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (CBS) - For merchants at the Jersey Shore, Memorial Day weekend is circled on their calendars.
A strong Memorial Day can signal a strong summer, says Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce:
"It helps set the tone for the season. When people have that great Memorial Day experience, they wanna come back again. So the weather really helps us kick off the season and the prediction looks good for this weekend."
Liz Kilcourse, manager of the Ocean City Coffee Company, uses the holiday as a barometer for the season:
"I have a feeling it's going to be really busy this weekend. And if it's really busy this weekend that will probably mean the rest of the year's going to be good."
Gillian is expecting 30,000-40,000 visitors in Ocean City each day taking in the sand and surf, and spending their money over the holiday weekend.
The shore's rebound from Sandy continues, but with good weather this weekend, Gillian is looking for a solid start to summer.