DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa caucuses bring in people and politicians from all around the nation right to the Hawkeye State.
It's a great opportunity for local restaurants and businesses to see a steady stream of people in the winter months.
"Two weeks leading up to the caucus, to actual caucus date, brings in about $11.3 million just to the Des Moines metro area," said Catch Des Moines CEO Greg Edwards. "So it is huge."
Though there is the hustle and bustle of caucus night, there are several opportunities for downtime and pre-caucus festivities. Money is being spent in several different ways from attendees and workers alike.
"These campaigns are coming in, the media comes in. So they're staying in hotels, eating in our restaurants, they're shopping, they're doing extra things on the side ... entertainment, culture, arts," Edwards added.
Over at the West Architectural Salvage, owner Don Short is no stranger to the rush Iowa's first-in-the-nation status can bring.
"We had five shows filmed right here inside Western Salvage," he explained. "So, it's huge. You have this national audience, you have people looking at you from all over, plus the local exposure is great."
Even after the latest changes from the Iowa Democrats, Edwards still expects to see a good stream of revenue.
"I think there's so much interest on the Republican side, and I think, you know, with all the candidates that are running, I still think we're going to have a great, great progress."
Short, on the other hand, believes the changes are a real kick to the gut for him and other business owners.
"It's going to be a huge money kick for a lot of places because in January, we're not terribly busy and this was a real good shot in the arm for cash," he said.
Catch Des Moines encourages local businesses and restaurants to reach out ahead of the caucus if they want help getting their name out there.