Each year, Kona Surf Company in Wildwood, New Jersey, prepares for the rush of Memorial Day Weekend by bringing in new products and increasing inventory. (Credit: Kona Surf Co's Instagram page)
The weather continues to improve down at the Jersey Shore and many Philadelphia area residents are excited to head to the beach in two weeks for Memorial Day weekend.
The federal holiday is intended to honor and remember American service members who have died in military service. In many cases, Memorial Day weekend also represents the beginning of summer as students finish finals and depart school.
The weekend is known to bring in huge crowds of thousands of people. Last year, large groups of young adults forced police to close the boardwalk in Wildwood due to “aggressive” behavior.
Other incidents led Seaside Heights to enforce a Boardwalk curfew for minors. Many towns, including Wildwood and Beach Haven, have also introduced backpack bans in previous years to decrease disorderly behavior.
Jersey Shore local businesses have been preparing for this weekend, filling up stock and prepping for months now. Chris Sciarra, owner and manager of Kona Surf Company in Wildwood, said he hopes the crowds will be just a big as they were years prior.
“We're preparing the same way we prepare every year, trying to have enough inventory, enough stock, so that we can meet the demands,” Sciarra said.
Sciarra said each year, Kona Surf Company tries to make everything alittle different, and that makes Memorial Day weekend more exciting and brings in more foot traffic.
Kona Surf Co team is excited for a busy Memorial Day weekend. (Credit: Kona Surf Co's Instagram page) Last year, nearly 44 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home to celebrate Memorial Day, according to AAA’s 2024 travel forecast. While the numbers aren’t solidified for this year, local businesses are expecting similar numbers. It’s not uncommon for businesses to start preparing for Memorial Day in early fall, especially with many places closing for the winter. Last year, Sciarra said Kona Surf Company started planning in September.
Michael St. George, the bar manager at Martell's Tiki Bar on Point Pleasant Beach, said the business starts gradually building up its liquor inventory for Memorial Day at the beginning of April.
“We're prepared. We've been doing this for a long time. Our biggest concern is the weather. We want good weather, and we want people to come in and enjoy themselves, St. George said.
Martell's Tiki Bar serves customers during the summer season. (Credit: Martell's Tiki Bar's Facebook page)St. George, going into his fifth season as bar manager, said the main priority for Memorial Day weekend is hiring enough staff for the summer. The bar normally hires from 80-100 new people at the start of the season.
Many other businesses are hoping for a busy summer. Tourism at the Jersey Shore has steadily increased since the COVID pandemic.
There are some concerns that many Canadian citizens have cancelled their annual trips to the Jersey Shore due to tariff and visa concerns, which could affect tourism. Rental agents, hotels, campgrounds and local businesses have noticed the decline, especially in Wildwood—a place Canadians commonly travel to over the summer.
