Huge holiday travel weekend brings windfall to Grand Strand businesses

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — As hundreds of thousands of visitors head home from their July 4 weekend on the Grand Strand, local businesses say the saw a huge spike in sales.

Restaurants and fireworks vendors particularly enjoyed a windfall, and Myrtle Beach International Airport was busy on Sunday as people departed a place that U.S. News and World Report named as one of the country’s top Independence Day destinations.

“I mean, it pretty much tripled what I had for the last week in one day,” said Lewis Broome, owner of Black Pearl Fireworks. “I could make my entire year in two days, and pay my astronomical rent.”

Broome said on average, people spent about $500 per purchase.

Over at Mimosa’s — one of the region’s most popular brunch spots — owner Gentiana Tubaku said she knew how to be ready for this year’s crowds.

“We prepared extra food and drinks. Knowing from last year, how busy it was, we already knew. So we had to get ready for it,” Tubaku said.

The city’s airport was buzzing on Sunday as well, where officials said they expected about 50,000 people to depart over the next several days.

AAA projected that about 5.7 million people will over this holiday weekend, a 7% jump from 2023 numbers.

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook , X, formerly Twitter , and Instagram . You can also read more of her work here .

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