Roar Offshore National Championship powerboat races a boon to business

Businesses on Fort Myers Beach are revving their engines full throttle.

They’re ready for thousands of people to pack the beach for the Roar Offshore National Championship powerboat races this weekend.

The big event is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to Fort Myers Beach, spending millions of dollars through the purchase of food, drink, hotel rooms, merchandise, and more.

Fort Myers Beach resident Scott Bartell said, “It’s got to be huge, I heard there are something like 60 or 70,000 people that are going to be here, and that’s a lot of people, a lot of money.”

Business owners and managers say they’re ready, like Director of Marketing for Salty Sams David Kasten, “Been preparing for weeks, if not months for this event.”

October is generally slower for businesses, so it’s excellent timing during off-season, and Kasten said Roar Offshore is giving them a much needed economic boost.

“You know we are thrilled to have them, especially in a time of year which would normally be a little slow for us. Our pirate cruise really does well during October because of the Halloween stuff, and the kids love to come out and get on the pirate ship, but to get an infusion in business this time of year is fantastic,” Kasten added.

Submit