Exposure is key for local businesses that depend on the overflow from Daytona Bike Week and Spring Break events.
There’s been plenty of snow in Michigan this winter so Lisa Archambault and Tommy Lee were pretty happy when Daytona Bike Week 2018 rolled around for their chance to head back to the Sunshine State.
Kicking off the festivities with Flagler Beach friends and former Michigan neighbors Bill and Sandy McCracken, the couples put the Hidden Treasure Raw Bar & Grill on their list of stops over the weekend.
“There’s too much snow in Michigan to ride so we came here,” said Lee. “The people are just so nice here.”
“They’re our best friends and we love it here — we’ve been coming here for 18 years,” said Sandy McCracken, who moved to Flagler Beach with her husband in August. “We’re going to Rossmeyer’s and do lots and lots of riding. This is a very biker-friendly area and we feel very safe here.”
After visits to the Iron Horse Saloon and Beaver Bar in Ormond Beach, they headed just a few miles north for a stop at Finn’s in Flagler Beach before their stop at Hidden Treasure, where restaurant owner Scott Weber rolled out the red carpet to welcome bikers to the celebration.
Weber marked his first Bike Week with a party that included a local radio station and radio personalities who spent time revving up the crowd before the Bath Salt Zombies took the stage.
“We’re just having fun,” said Weber. “They’ve been coming to Flagler Beach for a while but they’re enjoying the ride on the (Ormond) Loop and coming over to the beachside. It’s very important to get them here because we’re tucked up under the bridge, so for them to come out and find us here, it’s exciting to see the turnout.”
Exposure is key for Flagler Beach businesses that get the overflow from Daytona Bike Week events, and radio personality Chris Chaos was happy to be part of the evening’s welcome Friday for those heading into town from places like Rhode Island, Canada, Texas and beyond.
“We have a lot of good friends and supporters up here,” said Chaos. “It’s huge because people have forgotten about the hurricane, but you see folks still with blue tarps. So it’s important to keep that awareness out there.”
Bikers weren’t the only ones in town for the weekend as a few Spring Breakers seeking a little fun in the sun turned to the less-crowded beaches of Flagler Beach for some rest and relaxation. Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney was on duty to ensure the safety of those heading to the beachside community.
Stationed at a crosswalk on State Road 100, Doughney sat on a bicycle and watched for those not stopping to allow the crowds of pedestrians to cross the busy road on Saturday.
“We’re just trying to make sure people comply with the regulations,” said Doughney. “They’ve done a really good job for the most part, I think we stopped three people this morning in the last hour. Some of them aren’t from here and were a little disoriented and want to get to the beach real quick. Officers are using good discretion because compliance is the goal.”
While crowds on the beach were fairly light over the weekend, the weather was perfect for New Yorker Melissa Guckian, visiting family in Flagler Beach for the Spring Break holiday.
“We came here because it’s actually nice out today and we have to soak in the rays before we go back to New York,” said Guckian. “We got a foot of snow the day before we left to come here, so it’s really bad. This feels amazing.”