WINTER isn’t stopping hundreds of Pokemon Go players from flocking to Geelong’s waterfront — and businesses are cashing in.

Cafes, food vans and eateries around Eastern Beach say this winter has been one of the busiest off-seasons yet as players swarm to the Pokemon hotspot.

Coby Ramos, of ice cream store Mr Wizzy, says his food van had extended its business hours after the game craze erupted.

“People are buying ice cream in the middle of winter and walking around playing Pokemon Go even when it’s freezing cold,” he said on Sunday.

“Business has absolutely picked up since (the game) came out about a month ago — we wouldn’t usually be working here because the carpark would be completely empty, but looking at it now, it’s hard to even find a place to park.”

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The waterfront, which is well-known for its high Pokemon “spawn” rate, has been buzzing with players since the game’s release in early July.

Rarer Pokemon including Magnemite, Machop, Tentacool and Geodude are more likely to be found around Eastern Beach Rd, attracting players from the Geelong region and beyond.

Ganesh Kalyani has worked at rival ice cream van Mr Pro Whip for the past three years and said booming business over the past month had led to the busiest winter he had seen.

“Winter is normally very quiet outside of school holidays but business this winter has been going good, which we didn’t expect,” he said.

“People are out and around until 11pm in the evenings due to the game.

“We started selling doughnuts around Christmas last year and they’ve been very popular with players because they’re hot and fresh.”

George’s Waterfront, which only opens on weekends, is also doing a roaring trade, with staff member Shania Baker saying dozens of Pokemon Go players stop in for a feed at the fish and chip kiosk.

“We’re getting probably 50 extra customers a day — it’s usually very dead in winter, but there have been a lot more customers, making it very busy,” she said.

“They’re constantly walking around on their phones and coming in for a drink or some food, then wander off again.”

The augmented reality app, which sends players on a mission to catch more than 140 types of Pokemon, has exploded in popularity after its release in early July.

It has been downloaded 100 million times on Andoird and iOS combined, with a study by Sensor Tower finding that the average Pokemon Go user spent 26 minutes and five seconds playing the game daily.

A Pokemon Go Facebook group for Geelong and surrounds has more than 1600 members.