A big convention coming to your town should bring big business, right? Right?

Right? From Marketplace. I'm Sabrie Benashore in for David Brancaccio. The main prime time

events at the Democratic National Convention are at the United Center near downtown,

but technically the convention is spread out throughout the city.

And that means a lot of local restaurants were hoping for a boost.

Not so much, as it turns out. Marketplace's Nova

saffo reports. Wishbone a restaurant serving southern cuisine in the

downtown Chicago area should be packed for lunch.

Yeah, we're dead.

That's owner Joel Nixon.

He's had the place for 35 years and relies on area office workers for business.

With the office people, you know, I guess they were worried about protests and things like that.

Specifically, protests about the war in Gaza, although they've been limited so far.

On the same block as Wishbone,

Saigon's sister's restaurant is also nearly empty,

which worries owner Mary Aragoni.

I think people are just scared all over, you know.

If you drive down Michigan Avenue

there's fences all the big streets of block where the people are staying at the

parked hired and all that. She's gotten some catering business from the DNC but it won't be the shot in the arm she had hoped for.

That's discouraging news for similar businesses.

We have some, particularly, say, our retail trade and restaurants and so on are down and that they have not really

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