Restaurants welcome Republican and Democratic National ConventionsRestaurants welcome Republican and Democratic National Conventions

Erin Dostal

The Republican and Democratic National Conventions are more than just political grandstands. They’re huge, celebratory events attended by thousands of influential people from across the United States — prime time for restaurants in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C. to show off their goods and drive increases in traffic and sales.

In Tampa, where the Republican National Convention took place throughout the week, restaurant chains located in hotels faired particularly well, including the Beef O’Brady’s location at the TradeWinds resort in Tampa Bay. The California delegation, the largest in the U.S., selected the resort as its home base during the RNC, meaning big money for the resorts’ restaurants, said Jeffrey Fredrickson, food ...