PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -– Some business owners along Madeira Beach have been preparing for the big rush of Labor Day Weekend.
Even though the red tide is miles offshore in Pinellas County, businesses are still feeling the pinch.
The latest update from the FWC shows an increase in the number of red tide cells found at test sites in Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
Corey Nelis, the owner of Sinbad's Big Treasure Chest on Madeira Beach, added extra inventory in preparation for the holiday.
“We were really hoping for a big weekend,” says Nelis. “We got a lot of stuff out, hoping that the people would show.”
However, It was a slow Saturday, with just a handful of people coming into the shop.
For a while, tourists traveling away from Sarasota and Manatee counties into Pinellas brought much-needed business.
“It's just kinda died off,” he says. “The people were getting scared from red tide.”
John Frabotta, Owner of Frabotta's Italian Kitchen also on Madeira, has seen sales decrease drastically.
He's running specials and discounting food to get people to stop by.
“You can see an empty parking lot, no businesses,” says Frabotta. “I see a lot of the tourism is down. Many people coming down from Tampa, they're not coming anymore.”
Business owners want people to know that red tide is not affecting the shoreline.
The water on Saturday was just as blue and crisp as any other day.
“I don't smell it at all,” says Frabotta. “I don't see it at all. There are people in the water.”
“We can only hope people will start to show up in the next few days,” says Neils.
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