HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Some Grand Strand restaurants are just getting started while others are celebrating decades in the service industry, but regardless of how long they’ve been around, many have found a way to take advantage of what the region has to offer.

With the Myrtle Beach area now home to many community events and other activities throughout the year, vendor opportunities are providing businesses with great exposure and helping them stay afloat.

A long-standing brewery in Myrtle Beach is among those celebrating.

“We have been here making beer from scratch in Myrtle Beach for 25 years,” said David Epstein, owner of New South Brewing Company. 

After two decades, Epstein said being involved in charitable events like “Taste of the Town” are a big part of his business.   

“It’s a great event, great charity,” Epstein said.” We love helping out, and we have been doing it for many, many years.”

Over the years, that strategy has paid off, he said.

“As a small company, we don’t have a large advertising budget,” he said. “So it’s very nice for us to get out and get face-to-face time with people here.”

Allen and Steffanie Graham, the owners of “Hears The Scoop,” are newer to the area. Before moving to the beach, they said they used to rely heavily on traveling shows for their business.

“There’s been so many events down here, and truly they are all that we do,” Allen Graham said. “So we are fully mobile, and we only do events from here to Wyoming and Florida. We are happy to be here.”

For the past two-and-a-half years, the Grahams have found their sweet spot.

“The Myrtle Beach sports complex here, we do every venue and every event in this building, and it truly is what has resurrected and saved our business after the pandemic,” Allen Graham said.

At all of the sports games, competitions, shopping events and holiday shows, you can find their ice cream stand along the side of the complex.

Graham said the beauty of setting up shop here is that they are busy year-round.

“You come here, right here at this ice cream booth the second or third week of January, [and] you will see the only guy in Myrtle Beach who sells ice cream in January,” Graham said.

The owners of both businesses said they look forward to this time of year because more local people come out to the events, which allows them to connect directly with the community.