Portland (WGME) – Maine’s restaurants are gearing up for a bustling Memorial Day weekend, particularly after enduring the severe winter storms of December and January.

Coastal businesses, having faced numerous challenges throughout the winter, are now prepared to welcome the tourist season, despite the financial aftermath. “The damage here amounted to almost $60,000,” stated Steve DiMillo, the restaurant manager of DiMillo’s on the Water in Portland. He reflected on how the past winter has brought new insights.

With sunny skies forecasted for the holiday weekend, concerns about future high tides reminiscent of those that wreaked havoc last winter linger. “We need to address this and develop resilience against such high tides,” DiMillo remarked.

Fortunately, the restaurant has recovered well in time for the weekend celebrations. In January, floodwaters invaded parts of the establishment, and the dolphins—structures essential for the restaurant’s buoyancy—sustained severe damage.

Over in Saco, Alan Waugh, the operating partner of Huot’s Seafood, also expressed readiness for the season despite the winter’s obstacles. “We experienced significant damage, with about six feet of water inundating our basement. The water also reached the kitchen and dining area,” Waugh disclosed, noting the repairs cost tens of thousands of dollars, including new flooring and repairs to pipes and electrical systems, expenses largely borne by him. “We relied on our insurance last season, but not this year due to the absence of substantial structural damage,” he explained. Waugh assured that they would be open for the weekend and the entire summer season.