Sept. 28–Pierre Bader has operated uptown restaurants for three decades. The owner of Aria Tuscan Grill and City Smoke, Bader says he's seen the city through traumatic events that have spooked customers, and thus weighed on sales.

But last week's unrest following the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, he says, was unlike any other.

"I remember 9/11 vividly, and I remember thinking that was the worst one I think I had seen," Bader says. "This event was bigger."

Peaceful protests quickly turned violent last Wednesday, one day after Scott, a black civilian, was fatally shot by a Charlotte Mecklenburg police officer. Several demonstrators destroyed property and looted some businesses. Charlotte officials were quick to say that companies uptown are open for business, but the boarded up windows and storefronts have suggested otherwise.

So, citing the Charlotte's thousands of hospitality workers small businesses employ, Charlotte officials are now imploring customers to come back with their wallets open.

Charlotte Center City Partners CEO Michael Smith calls last week's unrest "an awakening for Charlotte."

"The events also created some real pain points for small businesses and their employees, especially those who worked in the hospitality industry in the center city. We are reminding folks that we're open for business. But it's not business as usual; we're changed forever."

The hospitality industry employs some 120,000 people in the Charlotte metro area, accounting for one of every nine jobs, Smith says, citing data from the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. The industry, he adds, his "highly susceptible to business interruption."

These firms are already having to adjust from the fallout from opposition to House Bill 2, the controversial LGBT law that has led to the NBA All-Star Game and the ACC's football championship being pulled from Charlotte.

Following the protests, the Westin hotel had three large groups cancel reservations, making up close to 4,000 room nights, manager Leo Percopo says. The fact that the city is still considered to be under a state of emergency "has a negative connotation to it," he says.

The impact on revenue so far is "well above $1 million, and probably closer to $2 million," he says.

Not Just Coffee at the 7th Street Public Market was "pretty dead for several days and through the weekend," owner James Yoder says, but business has started to pick back up.

At Aria and City Smoke combined, owner Bader says, total losses from the week are likely between $120,000 and $130,000. Aria had 300 reservations on the books for Friday night, he adds, and all but four canceled, though they didn't show either. On Saturday, the restaurant served about 50 guests, after about 300 reservations were canceled.

"We took a huge blow with revenues," says Bader, adding the lost business trickles down to servers, dishwashers and bartenders. But he is hopeful "time is going to heal this stuff."

Katherine Peralta: 704-358-5079, @katieperalta