2024 snowbirds bring revenue boost to Foothills restaurants & more shops across Southern Arizona

CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — The last few weeks, the chefs at Inca’s Peruvian Cuisine on Sunrise have been extra busy making more plates of 'lomo saltado' and pisco sour drinks. Business owner Fatima Campos has noticed the uptick in more and more 'snowbird' customers driving this lunch and dinner rush.

“We are so happy to welcome them every year and we see repeating faces every year. We just love that,” she said.

Looking back at past years, Campos and her children, Luis and Elena Campos, have noticed many seasonal customers have become regulars while they're staying in Southern Arizona. Luis Campos said his family's enterprise has benefited from word of mouth. "(People) tell each other about Tucson, and (how) these are the places to go try,” he said.

“We always have a good, good connection with our existing customers from out of town and also our regulars,” Fatima Campos said.

Fatima Campos said because of the snowbird rush, Inca's revenue has gone up by about 40 percent compared to the slower summer season.

Two doors down the Ventana Village plaza, Banhdicted owners Kim and Don Vongtheung opened up their newest location in August. They too have welcomed in seasonal customers boosting their business' revenue. “It definitely helps with the popularity that we already gained during our soft and grand opening,” Don Vontheung said.

Not long after their grand opening, Vongtheung said sales dropped by 30 percent; once the 2024 snowbird cycle started, sales increased by at least 50 percent, he said. Pair that with warmer weather, and Vongtheung said his family will try to make the most of the margins that will be there through Spring of 2025.

“When you see them coming back, it’s a really warm feeling,” Vongtheung said.