HONDO, Texas – Owner Melissa Claire said Chateau Claire Boutique Bed & Breakfast is catering a full house this weekend.
“We’re fully booked,” Claire said. “We were kind of shocked, overwhelmed and super excited about it all.”
With the eclipse set to cross over South Central Texas on Monday, TxDOT is expecting increased traffic across the state. To small business owners, more people can mean more sales and small businesses across Hondo are offering up eclipse specials to bring more customers in.
“We did the special barbecue for them tonight,” Claire said. “Fingers crossed the weather is gonna hold up and we’ll be able to enjoy it.”
Mainstreet Mercantile on Highway 90 ordered t-shirts and trinkets themed for the celestial event.
“Small businesses had a hard time the last year,” Owner Heather Ward said. “Anything that we could get excited about was great.”
Ward said they got their merch in last week and have been selling multiple items a day.
“It’s been exciting,” Ward said. “They’ve been really popular.”
As Hondo starts to fill up with people ready to see the eclipse, Ward said she hopes people stop and support small businesses in the area.
“We feel like this is going to have a significant impact for our small-town community,” Ward said.
If you haven’t yet left for your eclipse-viewing destination, TxDOT is urging drivers to have patience and create a plan before leaving. For tips, click here.