Line of cars in Sister Bay, Aug. 31, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With the arrival of Labor Day weekend, the end of the summer season is quickly approaching for Door County businesses. July and August are typically the peak months for tourists, helping to boost the local economy.
“We had a great summer, very busy. We actually just rebranded our coffee shop this Spring, so I think that helped bring people to check out the new space, fresh brand,” said Lilly Orozco, Owner of Happy Coffee.
“All in all, we’ve had a good year. Again, as a new business we should be growing every year. We were probably up about ten percent year to year,” said Kevin Wehrenberg, Owner of Stone Hedge Golf and Pub.
Door County during the summer attracts many visitors from around the state and the Chicago area.
“July and August were fantastic, mother nature really delivered. We saw bigger crowds than we’ve ever had in Door County before. We are thrilled that people are still wanting to travel and coming to destinations like Door County,” said Lars Johnson, Co-Owner of Al Johnson’s.
“It’s been a great year. We have a very high return clientele in Door County so we generally can expect a similar pattern. It is by no means over though. The summer comes to a close, but the fall is very busy, especially with fall leaves,” said Paula Anschutz, General Manager of Sister Bay Bowl.
One thing business owners have noticed in recent years, is a shift toward younger consumers.
“We have had an increase in that over the last several years, we’ve seen more bachelorette parties and younger people. I think younger people have realized they can come up here for a weekend with friends, and it’s just very accessible,” said Anschutz.
“I’ve been here for a little over 6 years now and I have definitely noticed that change in the demographic as far as customers. This year especially we noticed that we had a younger population than other years,” said Orozco.
According to Door County tourism officials, visitor spending has also been increasing in recent year. Visitors had a $651 million impact in the county last year, that was up 5.1% from the year before. Expectations remain high for this year, even as the crowds appear to be getting younger.
“We are seeing that, but we’ve been in business for 76 years, so, we’re seeing third, fourth and fifth generations coming to Door County and carrying on those family traditions. We’re seeing younger families come to Door County and that’s always encouraging and that means that this will go on for generations and to me that’s really important,” said Johnson.
With the end of the summer season, the next big draw for those tourists will be the popular “fall colors”– expected to run through October.
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