While delegates were excited and fired up by the Democratic National Convention, restaurants and retailers near McCormick Place were looking forward to its end after weathering a sluggish week because of the tight security perimeters nearby.
Elizabeth Lucas, owner of MJ2 Hair and Nail Salon, closed her shop at 2015 S. Indiana Ave. for more than a week because of the DNC. The streets near her salon have been closed off since Saturday.
“As a business owner, it’s been very very bad for us. We hate it,” Lucas said on Thursday. Ten stylists and nail technicians couldn't come to work.
“They can’t make any money. No one has been here. No one is scheduled to take clients,” she said. “They could have been in a cornfield and had their damn convention.”
Street closures around McCormick Place — one of the two official DNC venues that included the United Center — started Aug. 17, the weekend before the four-day convention that ended Thursday. Blocked roads, barricades and miles of chain-link fencing hindered customers and employees from parking or entering the multi-layered security perimeter, where the Chicago Police Department, U.S. Secret Service and other security personnel patrolled the area.
Businesses near McCormick said they're used to conventions at the facility, which can draw more than 100,000 visitors.
The DNC was expected to attract 50,000 delegates, media and other attendees. But the disruptions it caused were unusual, according to Lucas. “Other conventions aren’t as bad. There’s still available parking,” she said.
While she received flyers about the planned security measures, Lucas said she "didn’t know how severe it was going to be. I didn’t know we were going to close down.”
Organizers estimated the DNC would generate $150 million to $200 million for Chicago. A final report about its economic impact has not been released yet but many Chicago businesses saw an uptick from DNC-related sales by hosting watch parties or catering events.
But near McCormick, businesses that cater to locals such as dry cleaners, salons and cellphone stores likely saw a drop in revenue, though even restaurants said they struggled to attract DNC visitors.
The office of Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) received calls from a few businesses complaining that being in the security perimeter "was having a negative impact on their business operations," according to an emailed statement. They didn't know if the DNC Committee or the city will offer any assistance to affected businesses, but her office said, "We believe that city officials are looking into this."
The DNC Committee said in an emailed statement: "Democratic conventions have brought economic development and benefits to past host cities over the course of the last several decades. Philadelphia saw $230.9 million in economic impact, Charlotte saw $163 pumped into its regional economy, and Denver reported $266 million in economic boosts. The 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago will be no different."
Il Culaccino at 2134 S. Indiana Ave. was nearly empty around lunchtime on Thursday. The restaurant was kitty-corner to the eyesore of silver fencing around McCormick.
“It’s a ghost town,” Bobby Faraci, a server who also lives two blocks from the restaurant, said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. There’s nothing on the street.”
Il Culaccino was built for McCormick conventions and spillover customers from events, Faraci said. In contrast, business has been “a struggle” during the DNC.
Haidilao Hot Pot, near the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Cermak Road, was also slow. Its regular customers are families who drive to the restaurant and park nearby. Closed streets and heavy security deterred them from coming, Haidilao Manager Vivan Wu said. And any DNC attendees are likely looking for quick meals — not sit-down hot pot stews, she said.
“We thought about closing the whole week,” Wu said. But the restaurant stayed open to avoid disappointing regulars who might come by.
She said weekends are busiest for Haidilao so she's hoping things will return to normal this weekend.
However, she and other business owners, like Lucas, are unclear about when the barricades will be removed and streets re-opened.
The city announced in an email late Thursday that it would start taking down the security perimeter around McCormick as soon as that night. It said the area around the convention center would re-open by Sunday morning and all security structures would be removed by Monday morning.
The dismantling of the security perimeter around United Center was scheduled to start Friday morning and finish by midnight on Monday, according to the city.
At Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta, Manager Rich Siemienkowicz said things have been slower than expected for the restaurant on South Indiana Avenue near McCormick.
“I was expecting business to be better,” Siemienkowicz said. “Usually when there’s conventions we have a lot of people coming in, but it’s been different this time. I think people leaving McCormick are rushing to get to United Center” for the evening speeches, he said.
McCormick hosted 33 Democratic Party Caucus and Council meetings as well as trainings, panel discussions and a vendor fair called “DemPalooza” that was open to the public while the United Center held the televised evening events.
“I’ve been here since Monday and it’s been so slow,” Gael Duarte, a host at Pizano’s, said. “People can’t drive in and it’s hard to find parking; so we’ve mostly just had walk-ins.”
Jose Magaña, an employee at South Loop Market, 2135 S. Michigan Ave., said sales dropped during the DNC. “It’s been slow for business,” he said. “I’ve had a few regulars come in and say they wish the neighborhood was always this quiet.”
The company posted on Facebook this week imploring customers to stop in to boost its sluggish business during the convention.
Not all shops around McCormick fared badly during the DNC. Urban Hair owner Omar Syouri said business has been light at the barbershop but “it’s been alright. We’re still cutting.”
The shop at 2008 S. Prairie Ave. even saw some walk-in customers, who were attending the DNC, though regular customers postponed their haircuts until after the convention, he said.
However, the cement barricades set up during the DNC were new, he said. Parking has also been tough; his three employees parked in Chinatown then walked more than a mile to get to Urban Hair.
“Thankfully, it’s been nice out,” Syouri said of the mild weather this week. Like other business owners, he wasn’t sure about how long the security perimeter would stay up. “I hope Monday is the last day.”
Contributing: Cindy Hernandez
