Shopkeepers: No Convention Boost

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The New York Sun

The exodus of many New Yorkers during convention week took its toll on local stores and restaurants for the second straight day yesterday, with some managers anticipating their slowest sales week since the blackout a year ago.


Shopkeepers from Bryant Park to Union Square said the influx of thousands of delegates, journalists, and even protesters into the city has not prevented losses of as much as 50% compared to a normal late summer week.


“New Yorkers are not going out as much this week,” said Randy Garutti, the general manager of the popular Union Square Cafe on 16th Street. Mr. Garutti said that while the demand for reservations for this week has been slow, he hoped for a turnaround as the week continues.


“There’s been a lot of press about the fact that there’s some open tables at the city’s best restaurants,” he said, indicating that more people would show up knowing they would not be turned away.


While Republican delegates are certain to frequent the city’s top bars and restaurants, they may avoid areas like Union Square, which has been a hub for protesters.


“I don’t think they’ll come here,” said Lisa Tetlow, a hostess at Blue Water Grill, which faces the square at 16th Street. “It’s probably not a good idea.”


Closer to the convention site at Madison Square Garden, shop managers said they fared slightly better than Sunday, when the enormous march of protesters made it virtually impossible to shop.


“Seventh Avenue is open, so it’s better now,” said Talabi Jamal, an assistant manager at Tannery House shoe store on 34th Street. Still, Mr. Jamal said he had seen “maybe three or four” delegates come into the store, and that sales were suffering. “There is nobody in the stores,” he said.


The struggles for local businesses have come amid predictions by Mayor Bloomberg that the convention would bring as much as $250 million for the city. Yesterday Rep. Anthony Weiner said that while the convention may be good for the city, the mayor’s expectations were too high.


“Let’s just say that the line at my neighborhood salad bar for lunch was as short as I’ve seen it,” said Mr. Weiner, a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens. “I’m not questioning the wisdom of holding the convention here, but let’s not overstate its value.”


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