HEADLAND, Ala. – Loosening COVID-19 restrictions means more people are traveling this year during spring break. And that is providing a much needed boost in revenue, according to some business owners along Highway 431 in Headland.
“Being on 431, just about everyone that comes from Georgia has to go by here. You know, 431 is a busy part of town and it really helps being on 431 to make people stop,” said Jai Freeman, owner of the Hometown Food Center.
He says that increase in customers is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
“All summer long, starting in mid-March, somewhere around there, we really see some faces we don’t normally see on a regular basis. It’s all the way until August, really,” Freeman said.
Just down the road, popular tourist attraction Todd Syrup Farms has been flooded with visitors from across the states…
“It’s actually very exciting. It gives us a chance to make new friends. And we like to consider ourselves a very home-type business,” co-owner Dewey Todd said.
Todd says sales were up by more than 20% in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic. He says current projections are promising.
“This year, we’re on track to increase by about 15-20% again. And we credit the travelers for that. We’re about 50-50, about half of our traffic is local in the Dothan-Wiregrass region. And then 50% of it is travelers,” Todd said.
