Biketoberfest 2022’s impact -Did the event give Daytona a needed boost

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Jim Abbott, The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Mon, October 17, 2022 at 1:34 PM·6 min read

DAYTONA BEACH — With its distinctive, gleaming silver exterior repaired from Tropical Storm Ian’s assault, the Starlite Diner rebounded from the storm this past weekend with a welcome influx of Biketoberfest visitors, said owner Kevin Gelnaw.

“It was a really good event for us,” he said. “Things got quasi-back-to-normal. We probably did a little more business than we did last year even.”

Gelnaw has weathered a series of storms — Matthew, Irma and Dorian, among them — in recent years at the landmark eatery just north of the Ocean Center on Atlantic Avenue.

He was among the merchants and hoteliers that reported strong business from the 30th anniversary edition of Biketoberfest, a four-day event that opened only two weeks after Ian’s damaging trek through Volusia and Flagler counties.

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