If the number of businesses opening in Onset this season is any indication, the economy is looking up.

The seaside village is about to welcome two new restaurants. Storefronts are filling up with everything from a masseuse who got her start massaging horses to an Onset native selling photos of local scenes. A "groovy" village fixture has expanded, and, beginning June 13, the Onset Bay Association will operate a weekly farmers' market.

"This is an exciting time for Onset," said Onset Bay Association President Eleanor Martin. "People are coming together. Businesses are coming together."

Two new eateries are opening in the heart of the village.

The Quahog Republic — a seasonal restaurant and bar with the slogan "Live, Give, and Relax" — will be moving into 197 Onset Ave., the building across the street from the Onset Pier. The restaurant currently operates a location in Falmouth.

With Planning Board approval of its plans last week and the Board of Selectmen giving the Quahog Republic a nod of approval for its seasonal liquor license on Tuesday, co-owner Erik Bevans said if all else goes according to plan, the restaurant will open in mid-June.

Quahog Republic representatives have told town officials that the company tries to represent the "Cape Cod way of life." Customers of the establishment are designated "Official Citizens." Official Citizens can show their pride for the Republic with the company's clothing and accessories, which are sold on-site.

For more about the Quahog Republic, visit www.quahogrepublic.com.

On the other side of the pier, an iconic fixture is gone, but is being revamped and reopened.

Kenny's Salt Water Taffy was sold last fall for $525,000 to Papantoniadis Properties LLC.

Steve Papantoniadis has been quiet about his plans for the spot — which is undergoing heavy renovations — but noted during a recent phone call that the company is working hard to open before summer is in full swing.

Elsewhere in Onset, the small businesses that make up the heart of the walkable village are growing in number.

Ebb & Flow, offering wellness services, massage, skin care, and yoga has opened at 215 Onset Ave.

Owner Beth McLacklan, 32, got her start in the massage business as a masseuse for competitive horses. She later became a licensed massage therapist, after discovering that she wanted to work with the riders of those competitive horses. A rider herself, McLacklan credits that work with launching her career. She has been working on people for three years.

"I worked on horses first, and they don't talk. ... You rely on what your hands feel and their facial expressions," she said, noting the "delicate balance" needed in massaging horses. "It made me the therapist that I am today."

McLacklan worked at The Matrix Salon in downtown Wareham before opening Ebb & Flow.

Also a licensed esthetician, McLacklan only uses organic skin care products and massage oils. She makes her own masks and serums.

"It's important to educate people on what we put on our bodies," she added, emphasizing her passion for organic materials free of chemicals and preservatives. "The skin is our largest organ."

She says she wants to work on "changing our mindsets about our bodies and how to take care of them." She added: "When you look good, you feel good."

Ebb & Flow and be reached at 508-273-7736 and at www.ebbandflowwellness.com.

The Onset Bay Healing & Wellness Center, which opened last fall at 239 Onset Ave., is celebrating its first summer in business. A co-op of sorts, members of the center offer reiki, crystal healing, yoga, mediumship, and more through classes, appointments, and walk-ins.

The center is generally open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with a slew of classes happening throughout the week. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/onsetbayhealingwellness.

Also new to the 200-block of Onset Avenue are Photography by Melissa Goodell and Greater Graphics.

Melissa Goodell's photography studio will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, May 26. The Onset native will offer post cards, note cards, and photographs of scenes from Onset and Buzzards Bay at her shop. She will also operate an outdoor portrait-taking service with individual, family, and group portraits taken around Onset Village.

"When families walk into my store, right then and there, I will go to whatever destination -- the gazebo, the beach, or one of the nice benches on the bluff -- [take photos] and have it ready for them the same day," Goodell explained -- a plus for visitors who want to capture their time in Onset.

Photography by Melissa Goodell will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Customers visiting during the store's grand opening this weekend will receive a free postcard sample of Goodell's work.

Greater Graphics, located at 211 Onset Ave., will officially open in the coming weeks, though owners Justin Paling and Nate Harkins have already begun working from the shop.

"We're basically a one-stop-shop for screen printing, embroidery, business cards, flyers," and other promotional products, said Paling.

Paling said the shop has some "unique Cape Cod [T-shirt] designs" that he hopes to sell to distributors -- so look for those soon on a beach near you!

Greater Graphics joins the recently-opened graphic design studio owned by Monica Rhines, who operates out of an upstairs office at 197 Onset Avenue.

Rhines produces everything from business cards to product packaging, event invitations, and websites. "Anything to help [businesses] get off the ground and running," she said.

Rhines added that the new influx of Onset businesses has been exciting to see.

"We've all been helping each other out," she noted.

To see Rhines' work, visit www.monicarhines.com.

Happy Zone is celebrating its seventh year in business with a move to 205 Onset Ave. The store opened in the much larger location just down Onset Avenue from from the last location in April.

The shop is now offering "lots more groovy stuff," as owner Marie Poulin puts it.

With a partnership with Wareham-based clothing company Soft as a Grape, Happy Zone is now has more Onset and Cape Cod clothing, summer dresses, and Red Sox, Bruins, and other team gear.

Hand-in-hand with attracting businesses to the village is getting people to visit to enjoy its various offerings.

"It's the intention of the OBA to showcase the beauty of Onset Village," said Martin, "and bring people into the restaurants and shops."

Onset Market Day is one way Onset Bay Association members are hoping to attract visitors.

Farmers will sell their goods and artisans will set up shop on the sidewalks in the area of the Onset Band Shell. Organizers say they hope that antique dealers will also join the market.

Onset Market Day will take place on every Wednesday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. beginning on June 13 and ending September 19.

Notable happenings on the festival front: The Onset Blues Festival, the Onset Bay Association's biggest fundraiser, will celebrate its 20th year on August 4, and the association will host its first ever Chowder and Stuffies Contest.

The Chowder and Stuffies Contest, scheduled on June 24 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Band Shell, will award a $100 cash prize to the participant with the best chowder and stuffed quahogs.

Contestants, both amateur and professional, and vendors are sought. The cost to enter is $25. Vending spaces are $50.00. All proceeds will benefit The Onset Summer of Love Music Series and The Onset Bay Association.

For more information about the contest, contact Kat Jones at 508-725-2657 tadasanakat@gmail.com.

While there's certainly a lot coming up on Onset, there is no shortage of events in downtown Wareham! Check out our schedule for upcoming events throughout the summer!