Galveston business is gearing up for a big crowd before spring break

Galveston Island businesses are gearing up for what they expect to be a busy spring break.

“We’re excited to get the high season underway,” said Bubba’s bartender Misty Smith.

Bubba’s and other local bars and restaurants, such as Shark Shack, report a boom in business this time of year.

“We’re Houston’s playground and they really support us,” said Alan Flores, owner of Shark Shack. “We get just a combination of things, we get a little cruise activity, we get people who are on day trips. But I know the hotels are great during spring break.

Flores said businesses have seen a significant increase in revenue.

“Our business is probably 50 percent higher than a normal weekday during the week, and on weekends we probably double our revenue,” Flores said.

Emergency responders are also preparing for an influx of visitors.

Galveston Island Coast Guard Chief Peter Davis said three to five hundred thousand people were expected.

“So what we do is we take the staff we have, we pick the busiest areas and potentially dangerous areas like the jetty area and if we get enough we hit the beach parks. The rest of the coast,” says Davis.