VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The sun finally came out for Memorial Day and people took advantage at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Many were basking in the sun and sand, with no mask in hand.
“Oh my, to not wear a mask anymore is great,” said vacationer John Redshaw.
Redshaw and his daughter said their mini-vacation felt almost like normal with restrictions lifted in Virginia.
“You could tell a lot of businesses still have their restrictions, but they are lifting a lot more,” Haley Redshaw said.
Vacationers and locals flocked to the Oceanfront to soak up some normalcy for the long holiday weekend.
“Everyone is together, and everyone is enjoying themselves so that is really good,” said vacationer Feven Kidane.
The crowds were a beautiful sight for business owners.
“People are out, they are browsing, shopping, dining,” said Dough Boy’s Pizza owner George Kotarides.
But a barrier that still stands in the way of a booming summer season is staffing.
“We struggled a little bit at times giving the great service we want to give because we just have limited staff,” Kotarides said. “It really has been the issue for a bit.”
Despite that, Kotarides said his staff are happy to take on the challenge after a tough 2020 summer season.
“It’s a comeback year I think for the entire country and beyond,” Kotarides said.
Catch 31 staff are looking for several more helping hands and hope to find that in a few weeks.
“Hopefully, with high school letting out soon, we will see more high school students coming in and applying,” said Catch 31 manager Ryan Skidmore.
Virginia Beach Oceanfront business owners said they noticed more Virginia Beach Police Officers patrolling the resort area over the weekend. And city leaders promise that increased enforcement is here to stay.