Delayed Disaster for Laguna Beach Stores : Recovery: Frustrated retailers want the public to know they’re open for business. But all anyone talks about is the fire and cash registers stay silent.

Downtown Laguna Beach appeared to be doing business as usual Friday.

Crowds gathered around street musicians, tourists lined up outside the ice-cream parlor at Park Avenue and South Coast Highway, and the sidewalks were crowded.

But shop owners said that many of those strolling in the sunshine weren’t buying much.

“If I had one wish for Christmas, it would be that all the television channels . . . would let people know that Laguna Beach is open for business,” said John Hansen, whose family has owned Axline’s Village Shoes on Forest Avenue since 1955. “Today I guess that business is down 50%. Normally I’ve got four people working on a day like this, but I’ve only got two on today, and that’s plenty.”

Several other Forest Avenue merchants told the same story: Sales were down compared to Thanksgiving Friday last year.

“I had friends call me from all over the country because they . . . thought that Laguna Beach had burned down,” said Amos Swimmer, who owns Forest Market, a shop specializing in Christmas goods. “My sales have been very bad,” Swimmer said, since the late October fire that destroyed hundreds of Laguna Beach homes but spared the shopping district.

He and others are not giving up hope yet, though. “It really feels like something good is going to come this Christmas. We really need it in Laguna,” Swimmer said.

Indeed, some businesses were ringing up brisk sales Friday.

Sean Mackin, an art consultant for the Ruth Mayer Gallery, said, “It’s been one of our best days. We’ve been real busy.”

The fire is still on the minds of many customers and tourists, Mackin said. “You can hear them talking about the fire as they walk by.”

That may not be bad, he said: “I think the tourists that came here because of the fire have brought extra business with them.”

Janet Weiss of Los Angeles chose to shop in Laguna Beach on Friday because a friend owns one of the downtown shops.

“People are sending these fire victims hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, and that’s wonderful,” Weiss said. “But these people who own these stores need support just as much, and that’s why I’m here.”