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Local restaurants preparing for potential surge in visitors, increased revenue from RNC

Visit Milwaukee says they expect the city to look into expanding outdoor dining options in the coming months.
3rd Street Market Hall
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MILWAUKEE — Any time a major event, whether for a sport, a concert, or a festival, rolls into town, talk often turns to restaurants.

“They understand when people are going to be on their own eating, drinking, general merriment. So, the restaurants are going to see a huge impact from the RNC, as well as everything else that we'll have going on,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, President & CEO of VISIT Milwaukee.

With just over ten months to go until the Republican National Convention, restauranteurs across the area are already beginning to look at their strategies for trying to attract and accommodate the thousands of visitors that will soon make their way to the Cream City.

“I would make sure that you have the infrastructure, you order have food and liquor and everything else. But also, employee-wise, you're going to have to staff up for it. It's going to be a very, very busy five days,” said Omar Shaikh, co-owner of 3rd Street Market Hall

While the guidelines of the security zone are still months from being finalized, Visit Milwaukee’s Peggy Williams-Smith says right now, we’re in similar territory as how planning was progressing for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

“We didn't have any idea where that security perimeter was going to be in March of 2020 when the world shut down, and we were only three months from the convention at that point,” said Williams-Smith.

That unexpected turn, she says, ended up being something that restaurant owners can now look to as a marker for how they should prepare for any and all situations.

“There will be a focus on making sure that those businesses that are affected will get the necessary information to make sure that they can operate and service guests. But right now, I think that the main focus for them is realizing how busy next summer is going to be and what they need to do to make sure that they're staffed and ready for that influx of guests that's going to come in,” said Williams-Smith.

Shaikh says restaurant owners should also look at the months before the RNC as well.

“If you're really prepared for it, there's going to be a lot of business leading up to the convention as well. A lot of people coming into town, 15,000 potential cameras coming into town. You know, a lot of lobbyists and corporate will be coming in ahead of time. So, you know, just getting prepared for that,” said Shaikh.

Those with Visit Milwaukee say they expect the city to look into expanding outdoor dining options in the coming months as another alternative.


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