VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Labor Day weekend brought visitors to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for one last taste of summer.
Melissa Jackson came in from Florida and gave the beach high marks for its welcoming atmosphere.
“It’s very beautiful. No problems, no nothing. Everybody’s friendly, nice," said Jackson.
Lachrisah Mitchell just moved to Virginia Beach. She said her friends came from New Jersey to finally visit after the COVID-19 pandemic kept them apart.
“We absolutely love being able to get back to something normal, to out and about, to see people, families," said Mitchell.
Some business owners said the crowds over the weekend and summer brought in new customers.
Tino DeStefano is the general manager for the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront. He said business is booming. DeStefano said staffing issues hurt sales for the past two years but said this summer, more people are working and more customers are staying at the hotel.
“We’ve had a lot of groups show up, so it’s been good... We sold out yesterday. We sold out Saturday. The restaurants are really really busy. We served 1800 people yesterday," said DeStefano.
But at Katie’s 33rd Street Café, they experienced a different take this summer and are hoping for more customers.
“Generally this summer has been less busy than normal...and the reason is unsure but generally business has been down this year," said employee Michelle Guins.
Many business owners said they are optimistic about a busy season after Labor Day. They hope events like the Neptune Festival happening later this month will help get them back on track.