May rain means big losses for Bay Area businesses

SAUSALITO, Calif. (KGO) -- May is meant to be the start of the busy season for kayaks on the Bay.

But Galen Licht, who runs Sea Trek Kayak in Sausalito, says the rainy forecast is foiling their best-laid business plans.

"The rain that's gonna start sometime this evening and then tomorrow and then into this weekend is forcing us to cancel a lot of our trips and even potentially need to close down completely during the peak of the storm."

Between Wednesday and Sunday, Sea Trek was expecting more than 500 people to come out and paddle and enjoy the Bay, but because of the unexpected storm, they're expecting to lose all of that business.

"We're talking about $20,000 to $30,000 of lost revenue," said Licht, who's hoping kayakers and paddle boarders will still come out and enjoy the water with them when the weather clears. "As soon as we get a break in the weather, we'll be here trying to get as many people on the water as we can."

At nearby Fish, a seafood restaurant in Sausalito, business was bustling inside, but cloudy skies meant only a few were down for dining al fresco.

Executive Chef, Douglas Bernstein, says they've noticed a trend among Bay Area diners.

"When it's raining and kind of gloomy outside, people just don't think to come and eat fish."

So Bernstein says they're prepared for more of the same this week.

"We cut our staff, we don't buy as much fish. We're just kind of ready for it."

"The couple was going to marry here, under the natural arbor of this beautiful Oak," said Patty Flax, pointing out the gardens at Landmarks Art & Garden Center in Tiburon.

Flax runs the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society, a non-profit with several outdoor venues.

With rain on the way for a Wednesday wedding day, Flax says the bride and groom will likely say 'I do' inside their charming cottage, which dates back to 1870.

"Which is not a bad thing, but unanticipated for this time of year."