Busy holiday weekend for businesses at Lake of the Ozarks
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
To celebrate the holiday weekend and to officially kick off the summer season many people traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks.
The lake was one of the few areas that had the least COVID-19 restrictions last year which had sales booming. But, two businesses at the lake had different experiences this year compared to last year when it comes to business.
Marty Bryde's, a bar at the lake, says the kick-off to the summer was the lake was a busy one as they were packed all weekend.
Naz Degaldo, a bartender at Marty Brydes, says, "Yesterday was so busy everybody was probably waiting 30 to 40 minutes for a drink.
The bar had $56,000 in sales just Friday alone.
"The Memorial weekend we broke records instantly on Friday compared to last year all weekend compared to last year all weekend compared to Friday we had already beat all the records from last year," Degaldo says.
Marty Bryde's says they aren't experiencing a staffing issue as they are fully staffed and it was all hands on deck preparing for the holiday weekend making sure they are fully stocked as business picked up in the middle of the week.
Degaldo says, "It was already packed probably Wednesday it was already packed Thursday and Friday, Saturday and Sunday."
Activities on the lake were busy as well.
Dalton Williams, with Paradise Water Sports, says, "It was pretty busy all of our rentals all our boats were off the line, multiple jet skis at the same time."
Williams says they prepared Thursday for the busy holiday weekend.
Although this weekend was a busy one he says last year was busier since the lake was one of the few areas with limited COVID-19 restrictions.
"We're definitely seeing a lot of new travelers and everything like that, last year was a little bit busy last year because everyone was visiting local areas and everything like that, this year wasn't as bad as last," said Williams.
Both Paradise Water Sports and Marty Bryde's are anticipating a busy summer season.
With the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend only a little over a month away they have already begun preparing for that weekend.
