Memorial Day Weekend brings a business boom to a long-quiet Seattle waterfront

SEATTLE — Major signs of steps toward normal: tourists are returning and Memorial Day weekend has business booming along Seattle’s waterfront.

Some businesses like The Frankfurter say even without the cruise ships, business is better than it has been in years!

“It’s been nuts! On Saturday we had a line from 10 a.m. until - it was non-stop until 10:30 p.m. When I closed, I had people still lining up. I was like, ‘I’m sorry everyone I have to go,’” said Noah Chorneau, an employee at The Frankfurter.

“It’s the busiest since (the owners) had the place - so busiest in 10 years probably,” Chorneau said.

Locals and tourists alike are taking note.

“I think it’s extremely busy,” said Valerie Espinoza, a tourist from Santa Fe. “It’s been heavenly,” she said.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Rosy Mata, who lives in Seattle.

Ivar’s Fish Bar at Pier 54 says business is up six-fold compared to last year, with 1,240 customers Saturday, compared to 202 on the same Saturday last year.

The numbers are nearly double 2019′s too – with 653 customers on that day.

“So happy to see good business for our small business people,” said Marcia Sill, a Seattle resident who was in line at The Frankfurter. “It’s come alive.”

She said it had been a couple of years since she’s seen similar crowds.

Last May, the pandemic and shutdown left Seattle streets empty. But the year before, demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct along the waterfront took a toll on foot traffic.

Now the buskers, street vendors, and tourists are all returning.

“It’s great to be back to the norm - almost - with a slight bit of caution in the back of your mind,” Espinoza said.

Recovery is still on its way for many businesses.

Simply Seattle at Pier 54 says they’re about 75% back to normal between their two locations.

One area still lagging is hotels. The Downtown Seattle Association says as of mid-May, hotel occupancy was only 41% , but again, still much better than last year’s 13%.

Some say it does take a minute to adjust to crowds and cars.

“You have a little bit of that paranoia,” Espinoza said.

“I feel like traffic is a little worse,” Mata said.

But businesses are saying bring it on.

“Hopefully it’s going to be like this all summer,” Chorneau said.

Another challenge: many businesses like The Frankfurter are hiring, and struggling to hire enough staff as shops scramble to catch up with the sudden boom in crowds and demand.

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