PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — South Florida's outdoor businesses are struggling to stay afloat as an unprecedented cold snap forces closures and dramatically reduces customer traffic heading into what may be one of the coldest Sundays in years.
WATCH BELOW: 'Thirty degrees with a windchill can get super cold,' manager Jeramie Vaine tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
Philly Down South, a restaurant and music venue in Stuart, has been forced to shut down for three consecutive days due to the frigid temperatures.
The establishment, which operates entirely under a tiki hut just off the beach, with live music to enjoy. The venue moved up the band's showtime and plans to close early on Friday.
"They don't want to play in this freezing cold weather and people don't want to sit here and watch, so we have to cut that," owner James Leary said. "We have to cut our workforce back, sometimes we close and nobody works and then it hurts us. We have to stay in business each day, hurts us if we can't open."
The cold weather's impact on business has been severe.
Leary estimates that on a typical Friday night, over 300 people show up for live music. However, due to the weather, he expects that number to drop to around 50 people. Leary said they're taking operations day-by-day and may have to shut down Saturday and Sunday, hoping to reopen next week depending on weather conditions.
"It's going to hurt some people, you're going to have staff members that say I can't wait that long, I gotta find another job, they might go to a restaurant that's all indoors," Leary said. "I hope that doesn't happen, cause I have some great staff here."
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When WTPV asked why the restaurant doesn't use heat lamps, Leary said they tried it once but the open space and wind made it difficult to contain the heat effectively.
"It's just a tough time of the year, and hopefully everybody understands that and they'll come back and flood our doors and hopefully the staff can hang in there, that this is not a long cold spell, that this is short," Leary said.
The winter blast has also affected operations at Blueline Surf & Paddle in Jupiter, though the impact has been mixed.
"Our store here is pretty unique. Obviously, we have surf lifestyle, but we also have a boutique side in the front," manager Jeramie Vaine said. "So, anything that's related to in, around, on the water—whether it's fishing, surfing, snorkeling we try to cover all our bases and give you the products that you need."
Vaine said the cold weather has shifted customer purchasing patterns, with more people buying winter clothes than surf items. The store has also seen decreased demand for paddleboarding, one of their main attractions.
WATCH BELOW: Dangerous cold moving into South Florida this weekend
"We'll probably remind people to come back on Tuesday when the weather gets a little warmer, but if someone really wants to go and has the right equipment we'll entertain it," Vaine said.
However, some customers are still venturing out into what Vaine describes as 70-degree water. The business has also benefited from people escaping colder weather up north, which has helped compensate for locals staying indoors.
Leading up to the freezing Sunday forecast, Blueline plans to allow paddleboarding with caution.
"If the temperature dips as much as they're saying, we'll probably err in the side of caution," said Vaine. "Thirty degrees with a windchill can get super cold, your hands get cold, your extremities, so we don't want anyone to ever get in trouble or get hurt, so we'll play it ear by ear."
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