Memorial Day weekend sets the pace for the rest of the summer season. South Padre Island business owners say they're getting ready for the surge in visitors.

It was a picture-perfect day at South Padre Island. Families spent Memorial Day Weekend relaxing by the water and honoring the holiday with their loved ones.

"First off, I love the water. It's so nice. The people are so great. Everybody is so friendly," Illinois resident Benilda Santarromana said.

Santarromana is making a return to the island, this time with her husband. The couple traveled all the way from Illinois.

"We have driven all over the country, and the southwest is a place we have never been to except in 1973. My parents and I first got here, and we made a trip to South Padre Island, which is so different," Santarromana said.

While the beach was a journey for some, others, like Isaak Hernandez, made the short drive to the island with his family.

"We just come here to chill. We come from work. We are busy, and we are stressed out, and the ocean helps a lot," Hernandez said.

The crowds are exactly what local restaurants and shops rely on.

"Memorial Day weekend kicks off the busiest time of the year, which will go into three months of the busy season. We are excited about it. We anticipated more business, so we hired more people," Meatball Cafe Manager Rumaldo Ramirez said.

Ramirez said the crowds started moving in on Thursday.

"Especially since we had the SpaceX launch on Thursday. Ever since, it was a very long weekend, and it is still going," Ramirez said.

He doesn't expect the rush to slow down. Ramirez said the restaurant hired 14 people to handle the summer crowds and they plan to extend their hours.

Meatball Cafe is expecting a 20 percent sales increase this upcoming summer compared to previous years. They say that if the crowds are any sign, this summer will be busy.

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