A record-breaking crowd bodes well for the Lakeland hospitality industry, which has struggled since the onset of the pandemic brought shutdowns and continued economic hardship. Manuel Meza, general manager for Harry's Seafood Bar & Grille downtown, is certainly looking forward to it.
"I don't know how it's going to be this year in terms of how many people they have flying in," Meza said. "But I would say there's a 15 to 20% increase in sales as opposed to if Sun 'n Fun wasn't in town on the same date range."
In addition to larger crowds, Meza said Sun 'n Fun also tends to bring in "pretty wealthy people," which tends to have a positive effect on the restaurant's bottom line for the week.