DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Leather. Chrome. Thundering Harleys. And bikers galore on Main Street. Bike Week will roar to life in March at the World’s Most Famous Beach.

The Daytona Beach City Commission on Wednesday endorsed plans for the annual bike rally — 2021 marks event's 80th year — despite lingering concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City Commission's approval drew applause from business owners, restaurant servers, bartenders and others who depend on Bike Week’s annual revenue boost to survive.

They feared city leaders wouldn’t back Bike Week, withholding valuable permits for outdoor events.

The commission cited health concerns last year when it snubbed Biketoberfest, a smaller annual bike rally.

Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick L. Henry initially expressed reservations about supporting Bike Week 2021 in interviews leading up to Wednesday night’s meeting.

As a result, bars and restaurants offered to voluntarily reduce their occupancies by 40%, major selling point for most commissioners.

“Now they’re in a rough spot,” Henry said. “But they’re now also saying that, you know, we’re willing to hold ourselves accountable and to reduce 40%. I don’t know that we as a community can ask for much more than what they are willing to give.”

State law now allows bars and restaurants to operate at 100% capacity. 

Reducing patron loads should help reduce the threat of spreading COVID-19, Henry said.

Distancing, masking and hand washing will be encouraged at Bike Week 2021.

Daytona Beach City Commissioner Ruth Trager said she was torn by the Bike Week decision. She wants to protect the public. But she also wants thriving businesses.

In the end, she sided with safety. She noted the uptick in the spread of the new, more contagious mutations of COVID-19.

"Unfortunately, if you die, you ain't coming back," Trager said. 

She cast the lone dissenting vote for the private property plan for Bike Week.

A separate plan for public property passed unanimously.

The city’s support means, among other things, vendors can apply for permits to hold lucrative outdoor gatherings for entertainment, shopping and other events.

City leaders liked the idea of reducing indoor capacity while providing outdoor spaces to help prevent possible infections of the contagious virus.

The city wouldn’t issue permits for Biketober 2020 because of pandemic concerns.

That came after the city pulled permits for the last weekend of the Bike Week 2020 as COVID-19 ramped up.

After the news that the 2021 Bike Week will happen, Main Street in Daytona Beach was abuzz with preparations Thursday.

At American Bikers, employee Danny Yanesh was busy making T-shirts for the big event. Yanesh shared how he felt hearing the news. 

“My heart just dropped, I mean, I felt so much better about the upcoming event because last year was so tough on all  the locals, especially on Main Street,” he said.

While there will be restrictions, he understands why. 

“We want people to be safe. we want them to social distance," Yanesh said. "I think people realize that they are given this opportunity right now and they are not going to take advantage of it, they are just going to come in here and just enjoy the fact that it is the 80th anniversary and enjoy everything that is going to go on on Main Street”

Next door at Cruisin Cafe, owner Daniel Myara shares similar feelings. He said they haven’t even managed to hit 60% capacity in months.

“I am just happy that officially it is on," Myara said. “Whether they let them in or not, they are still going to come so at least this way we have a better way of controlling it “

Like Yanesh, he too has been waiting on the official decision before stocking up on supplies.

Now, he is rushing to hire 60 more people to staff the six bars he plans to have open for what he says is one of their biggest weeks of the year.

“It is the 80th anniversary so I hope this thing really will put us back and the employees, I mean all the employees, now everybody is struggling, we are just trying from one day to another,” said Myara. ​

Both believe that this event will help turn things around on Main Street— which is ready to welcome loyal bikers back once again.

“It is nice that they are coming knowing that they are welcome,” said Myara. 

Ultimately, the lowest-wage earners will suffer the most if Daytona Beach snubs Bike Week, said City Commissioner Dannette Henry.

She's heard from waiters and waitresses, front desk clerks and others who are struggling.

Bikers will come to Daytona Beach anyway, so the city should support a collaborative solution, Henry said.

“The governor has already opened the state. It's open. Did I want the state to open - wide open - I absolutely did not. But the people are coming. They're gonna be here. If we can find a healthy way to get the people outside and if the businesses are willing to compromise and say we'll take 60 percent, I think this is something that we should support,” she said. “It's just not taking money away from the actual business. It's taking money away from the lowest-income earners in our community."