Summertime in Maine means tourist season. And for many businesses along the coast, tourist season is the make-or-break time of year. If you’re a new business, you’d be best served by opening your doors just before or during the summer to give your new enterprise an immediate cash influx.

It’s no surprise, then, that the past month has seen a flurry of activity from the area Chambers of Commerce as they welcome newbies with ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Here are a few that have made the big snip in recent weeks, and one that’s on the horizon:

On Aug. 31, the Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry will hold a ribbon cutting for the New England Wireless-U.S. Cellular store located across the street from The Shops at Biddeford Crossing on Route 111.

The 3 p.m. ceremony will also serve as a grand (soft) opening for the business, which sits between Dunkin’ Donuts and Firehouse Subs.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit uscellular.com and click on “Store Locator.”

The Wells Chamber of Commerce and officials from the town of Wells recently hosted a ribbon-cutting for Castaways at Compass Pointe, a new home furniture and accessories store located at 71 Post Road (Route 1).

Owned by Philip and Melinda Costello, Castaways features beach decor, home furnishings, coastal home accents, art, textiles, interior lighting and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Tuesdays. For more information, call 360-0150 or visit castawaysatcompasspointe.com.

Another new store on Route 1 in Wells is Choice Furniture, 2128 Post Road. According to the Wells Chamber, owners Bill Martin and John O’Keefe have been in the furniture business for more than 10 years with other stores in Rochester and Chichester, New Hampshire.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 360-0850 or visit choicefurniturene.com. Over in Old Orchard Beach, the OOB Chamber of Commerce organized a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 4 for the Rebekah Inn, 4 Cleaves St.

The inn used to be a private residence owned by Harold “Babe” Goodkowsky, who lived in the house his entire life before dying at age 103. Goodkowsky’s father built the house along with the town’s only synagogue in the early 1900s, according to the OOB Chamber.

Last fall, new owners Denis and Daphne Contraros Rioux (who also own the Sandpiper Beachfront Motel next door), began renovating the house and transforming it into a nine-bedroom bed and breakfast. Restoration was completed in June, and the inn began receiving guests on June 23.

The inn has retained its original charm, and is adorned with antique furnishings – but also has modern amenities in every room, including flat-screen TVs, microwaves, refrigerators, and free WiFi. And in a nod to the house’s rich history, the Rouxes have named it the Rebekah Inn in honor of Goodkowsky’s mother, Rebekah.

For more information, call (866) 599-6674.