Cape Cod is getting ready for summer, the season that makes or breaks the local economy. Business owners say they hope it’s a good year — but really, they’re just craving stability.
With tariffs in flux and Canadians canceling reservations, the summer outlook feels more uncertain than usual for some.
“We normally have a year where one of the four or five main things that could really disrupt our season are up in the air,” said Mac Hay, who is president, CEO and chef at Mac’s Seafood, a group of restaurants and fish markets on the Cape. “This year, it just seems everything that … could really impact us negatively is in play.”
Hay said tariffs are not a big factor for the foods he sells locally, because the products are mostly American. But he exports wholesale lobster to China and Europe, and that business is down at least 40 percent for the year.
“Those markets are incredibly unstable,” he said. “And, on top of that, Canada has essentially been able to undercut us significantly, because … the level of tariffs that they're seeing are just below what we're seeing.”
With the Canadian boycott of U.S. travel, some companies are worried about the fall. That's when visitors from Canada and Europe represent a larger part of their business, after many American tourists go home.
Shayna Ferullo, owner of Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters, said the potential loss of those foreign travelers is on her mind.
“In the past, we've had great visitation from them in September and October, people from Europe and people from Canada — so much so, that I actually had to start shipping to Canada on our website,” because visitors to the Cape wanted to order coffee when they got home, she said.
Ferullo said she recently had to raise prices, not because of tariffs, but because of changes in the market for green, unroasted coffee. But she wonders how tariffs might affect her products in the future.
“The tariff situation is really unfortunate, because it just adds another layer of volatility,” she said.
But she and others are cautiously optimistic that travelers will still want to visit Cape Cod and spend money. For one thing, Memorial Day weekend was busy, so people are hoping that’s a good sign.
And there was a bright spot this week for Mac Hay: He said his seasonal workers just got their H2B visas approved.
