ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Snowbird numbers around the Bay area are expected to continue rebounding after they crashed in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But even before the pandemic at least one business in Zephyrhills says it started noticing declining numbers of the winter visitors.
What You Need To Know
- Snowbird numbers around the Bay area are expected to continue rebounding
- Numbers had crashed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic
- Owners of Sunrise Eatery in Zephyrhills said they’ve noticed snowbird numbers are rising
“Over the years they are still coming down, but their numbers are decreasing,” said Emmanuel Filax, co-owner of Sunrise Eatery.
Filax said when he and his father opened the restaurant in 2011, they depended on winter snowbird traffic heavily to keep the business open.
But pre-pandemic the cafe had already started making changes as it says it noticed a downward trend in the number of snowbirds coming in to eat.
The Eatery has moved locations since it opened.
It still features the same style of nostalgia on the walls and shelves, but its menu is different, it stays open later on weekends, it now offers curbside pickup, and it opened a new dog-friendly patio with an ice cream stand.
All of it, Filax says, was to attract more locals.
“Zephyrhills is growing,” Filax said. “A lot of families coming in. It’s expanding. The 56 road is open now, a lot of homes are built. So we are trying to get more families in here and kids.”
With the threat of a slowing economy, inflation and gas prices, 2022 isn’t expected to set any records for snowbirds in Zephyrhills.
They are still visiting, but their numbers according to Eatery aren’t quite the same.
That’s why building local business is becoming more of a priority, year-long customers that help increase revenue without depending on a boost for a few months a year.
