REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware – Although Labor Day is behind us and the summer beach season has unofficially come to an end, that doesn’t stop local businesses from being optimistic about the future.

Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol Everhart said that in some ways, the Delaware beach town is actually busier after summer ends: “If it’s not year-round, this is as close as it gets. … It’s been the same for a long time. In the fall, I see more visits in September and October than in May and June.”

Sunny Bay Cafe owner Laurie Orfanidis said she was looking forward to the fall months after a very successful summer. “The summer was great for us. We were very, very busy… We had record sales, many days, many days this summer,” she said, adding, “We can’t wait for the off-season when the meters stop flashing and the regulars come back, but we also love all the guests.”

Meanwhile, for Top It Off manager Jessica Charles, it took a while, but things finally got going: “It was a rough start. It definitely started very, very slowly. I would say maybe mid-July, it really picked up, and then up until yesterday, and I’ve been on a roll ever since.”

Everhart said they’ve noticed a slight decline in hotel stays, though it’s not necessarily the number of people staying, but rather how they’re choosing to stay: “When COVID hit, we had so many people coming in and renting rooms here, working virtually, and it just seemed to turn into, ‘I’m going to keep doing this. I’m going to rent this place.’”

Everhart said between 7 and 9 million people visit the Rehoboth Beach area each summer.

She added that we won’t know for sure until the state releases traffic data, but she expects the data will show the city had a very successful season.