New business owners are working around-the-clock this weekend to be able to open up their shops in time for the DNC.

Visitors will spend nearly 20 million dollars in food and drinks alone, and that's why several new bars and restaurants plan on opening this week, ahead of their original schedules.

There were tens of thousands of visitors at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. The city estimated afterwards that one spent 98 dollars per day on food.

"This is the beginning of another level for my family and I," said Lucius Johnson, the owner of a new Cajun restaurant called Bite Your Tongue.

His restaurant opens Monday morning, right off the Bland Street light rail stop.

He didn't know if he'd be able to open up until mid-September, but he said his family has been working around the clock for months.

"My wife, son and I have slept in here. The benches in here I've found are very comfortable. We didn't go home two or three days at a time," Johnson said.

"We needed to open before DNC, it was very very important for us. It will take our business to the next level," he added.

It was important because the light rail won't go all the way Uptown during the convention. In fact, Bite Your Tongue is one stop away from the end of the line.

"The traffic is almost going to be forced to come this way," Johnson said.

That's also why Nova Bakery on South Boulevard is aiming to open September 1st. Their final building inspection is in a few days.

"We're really just hoping that since there's going to be a lot of traffic that everybody kind of stops in and checks us out," said manager Tanja Novakovic.

And it's a big week for new Charlotte microbrewery Triple-C Brewing, located off the light rail in South End.

After months of hard work, their first keg goes out Tuesday morning. Then they'll be cranking out kegs for Uptown bars and restaurants for the convention.

"With that kind of influx coming into town, we hope they take the light rail to the New Bern station and come by for a beer," said head brewer Scott Kimball.

Kimball thinks people will want to drink and party without having to deal with homeland security checkpoints in Uptown. He said he'll have plenty of local craft brews to offer out-of-town guests.

The city of Denver said visitors spent more than 19 million dollars on food and beverages in just four days during the 2008 convention.