The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is getting started but some area businesses are seeing red. Restaurants in town are reporting a significant downturn in reservations. Some owners have heard from regulars that they are “leaving the city” to avoid the summit entirely.

Other eateries worry that the usual foot traffic and last-minute reservations will not happen this week as casual tourists avoid the city. SFGate reports the summit is expected to bring 20-thousand people to the downtown area, but that is less than a Giants or Warriors home game.

Even restaurants nowhere near the summit have told employees to stay home and are operating on a skeleton crew due to low reservation numbers.