If lack of rain was all it took to make a great summer, this should be the best year yet, but some local businesses are reporting it takes more than a drought to make a spectacular season.

By comparison to last year which most businesses described as phenomenal, this year was most often described as back to pre-pandemic levels, according to a sample of businesses contacted by the Boothbay Register.  

Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Walby echoed the mixed reviews. “Town seems very busy this year. Some businesses are doing very well, and some others say it has been a little down from previous years.”

Hotels and restaurants seem to be the exception, with some reporting that business was as good as or better than last year.

“We’ve been very fortunate that demand for our properties has been up year over year. Every one of our properties is up from a year ago,” said Scott Larson, owner and president of Midcoast Hospitality Group. Larson’s company includes Newagen Inn, Sheepscot Harbour Village Resort, Smuggler’s Cove Inn and Linekin Bay Resort which provided accommodations for more than 55,000 guests last year.

Michelle Wilson, manager of Brown’s Wharf, told the Register the hotel had “A wonderful summer; about the same as last year.”

At Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Golf Resort, food and beverage business was up from last year according to manager Melissa Neel and, although the hotel business was down slightly, Neel said overall the business is trending in the right direction.

For some businesses, high gas prices early in the season and problems with airlines contributed to a shift in demographics: Fewer visitors from away and more from Maine.

At Cottage Connection, specialist Alexis Miller said its rentals were “pretty good” but not comparable to last year. Miller did point out a trend many business owners mentioned. “This summer there was an uptick in people from Maine who wanted to come to the Coast.”

Walby also said, “Vacation rentals are seeing more people using the kitchens than in the past to prepare meals.”

“We had a lot of ‘day trippers’ from Maine,” Julie Roberts, owner of Coastal Maine Popcorn Company, said. “We had a great summer and most people were really happy to be here.”

Staffing still is an issue for some businesses.

Walby said many businesses had to close a few days a week or shorten their hours due to staffing shortages. Roberts said it was hard to compare this year’s business to last year because Coastal Maine Popcorn was open for three hours fewer a day this year due to staffing shortages. 

Slick’s Boutique co-owner Adele Bielli said her business was doing “alright.” She reported that Slick’s had a “strong spring” but this summer, sales varied depending on the weather. “The heat hasn’t helped. No one wants to try on clothes.”

Balmy Days Cruises owner Bill Campbell, who has been navigating local waters for four decades, said weather problems included wind early in the season as well as heat and fog later on. Campbell said the business had cancellations due to problems with the airlines and “COVID is still around. (Business) has been relatively busy but not the best season.”

And food?

Pizza and ice cream seemed to do very well. House of Pizza owner Mark Rigas said his business had an “Absolutely fabulous summer, better than last year.” Rigas said he saw a good mix of local residents and tourists, “And I love them all.”

Ice Cream Factory managing partner Oman Eser said his business is “really great” and they saw more people from Maine and Canada than last year.

Even lobster sales were affected by the weather. At Atlantic Edge Lobster, owner Kristin Page said it’s been similar to last year. “Warmer weather helped,” she told the Register. “On a hot day people wanted to buy lobster meat rather than cook lobsters.”

Boothbay Railway Village Director of Curation and Education Dr. Whitney Lytle said business there was “more like a normal year,” since last year was “super busy.” The Village had more bus tours this year and hosted a few before BRV opened. She felt the gas prices early on may have created a higher demand for bus tours.

Staffing shortages, heat, high gas prices, airline issues and COVID-19 have made this summer challenging for some area businesses. Fortunately, those contacted by the Register reported that overall, they were having a pretty good season.