MILWAUKEE — With parking in downtown Milwaukee becoming harder as the Republican National Convention approaches, businesses in the security perimeter are ready to navigate the next two weeks.
Jared Cooke is one of the managers at the Milwaukee Brat House. He said there is a lot of anticipation among staff for the convention.
“I think we are all just ready for it to be here so we can get through it,” Cooke said.
Cooke said the Milwaukee Brat House will be open to the public during most of the convention. Since it’s in the security zone, it won’t be able to offer a shuttle to the Milwaukee Brewers game next Sunday.
It’ll also be closed for a few hours the evening before the convention for a private party.
Cooke said he expects more business but is slightly concerned about how parking restrictions could impact those numbers.
“We will have to see if people are hesitant to go downtown, just anticipating it to be more chaotic than normal,” Cooke said.
He said the Milwaukee Brat House also plans to beef up staffing the week of the convention.
“Fortunately, we have a restaurant group that has a few other places that we are going to be able to take some people from,” he said. “With the extended hours, we are going to be open until 4 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. during those days.”
Two blocks away at the Aloft Hotel, general manager Jon Bjerning checked on one of the suites that will be reserved for the RNC.
He said all the rooms are booked that week.
“We know that we are going to be full for a week and we don’t have an option — if an air conditioning unit stops working — of just saying, ‘Let’s put you in a different room.’ I don’t have another room,” Bjerning said. “We have to make sure everything is working.”
Bjerning said he believes the convention will be a big opportunity for the city.
“We’re so booked and there is so much going on and they got some overtime,” Bjerning said of his staff. “They get a little extra. They are going to work hard, but it will be worthwhile for everybody. The employees, the business and the city will benefit from bringing this number of people into downtown.”
Cooke said when thinking about what the convention could bring, another event comes to mind.
“I guess what I would compare this to is when the Bucks went on the title run a few years back,” he recalled. “It’s hard to imagine. It’s not even possible for us to be even busier than we were during those few weeks so, it’s just showing that the city has a lot to offer and can handle major events like this.”
Tens of thousands of visitors will descend on Milwaukee a week from now. The Republican National Convention runs from July 15-18.