STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – In 2020, Door County saw visitor spending drop 19%.
But amid the pandemic, the county still gathered $304 million in visitor spending last year.
With Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, establishments are expecting business to boom.
“I truly believe it’s going to be off the hook this year,” Kitty O’Reilly’s Irish Pub owner Amy Crook said.
Crook tells FOX 11 the restaurant thrives off tourism dollars.
“Our summers hold us and they hold us to the point where we can staff all winter long. We’re open seven days a week year round. Our summers enable us to do that and pay our staff all year.”
Despite the losses, Crook said 2020 was still a good year for Kitty O’Reilly’s.
“Going into summer, I feel confident right now, we are ready.”
Not far from the pub, the staff at Stone Harbor Resort say the same.
“Since New Years, people have been starting to come back out and it just keeps revving up and I think it’s going to be a really good summer in all of Door County.”
Stone Harbor Resort bar manager Jonny Walker tells FOX 11 summer rules the area…but Door County is becoming a 12 month destination.
“Summer’s crazy but it’s more of a year round thing now.”
Walker says Sturgeon Bay is on the upswing.
Lodging is the largest spending category in Door County, next to food and beverages.
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