'Scary time:' DNC visitors won't show up to dinner as Carnevor reopens, shuttered 5 months amid COVID-19

Downtown Milwaukee a near ghost town on first day of DNC

With downtown streets bare on day one, it's anyone's guess what boost will be felt in Milwaukee by the mostly virtual DNC.

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett dubbed the Democratic National Convention an "unconventional" one as it began Monday, Aug. 17 in Milwaukee -- without the tens of thousands of people the city had been waiting to welcome. The event, mostly virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic, is digging into some restaurants' profits.

Omar Shaikh had been looking forward to the convention to give his business a much-needed boost. Carnevor, closed for five months amid COVID-19, is set to reopen Tuesday, Aug. 18, the second day of the DNC. Shaikh saw the convention as a chance to reopen in the global spotlight.

Carnevor

"As of last week, we were one of 16 restaurants, so we might as well open up," he said.

The 50,000 people originally expected for the convention won't be showing up for dinner.

"It's been a scary time, just to speak honestly," said Shaikh.

Downtown Milwaukee during the DNC

Shaikh is also the board chairman of VISIT Milwaukee. The group predicted a pre-COVID convention economic impact of $200. With downtown streets bare on day one, it's anyone's guess what boost will be felt by the mostly virtual event.

"We worked our keisters off to get this convention," said Mayor Barrett.

Downtown Milwaukee during the DNC

Mayor Barrett continued to embrace the DNC as a historic Milwaukee event. He said he believes that won't diminish the city's future opportunity to host the next DNC, but the timing might.

"Four years from now is light-years away in politics in terms of who will be the leadership of the Democratic Party, what the president at that time wants to do and how Wisconsin is viewed," said Barrett.

Downtown Milwaukee during the DNC

Meanwhile, in downtown Milwaukee, no convention and a still-present pandemic could be too much for some restaurant owners to swallow.

"Since the pandemic started, I'm sad to say, a lot of them aren't going to make it through this," said Shaikh.

Downtown Milwaukee during the DNC

The board chair of VISIT Milwaukee said he remains hopeful the DNC will return to Milwaukee, or at the very least, this whole experience will prove a valuable advertisement to other big conventions about what Milwaukee can do.