Era Bistro general manager Brad Hamilton. Ciccio's is close to the Marriott Hotel – one of the G20 zones where Brisbane residents and workers have a front-row seat to preparations for the "largest peace-time security operation in Australia's history". It means an influx of delegates, regular security sweeps, midnight military exercises featuring Black Hawk helicopters and camouflage-clad soldiers firing blanks, and bracing for the barricades. Those who live or trade in two inner-city streets exemplify the anticipation before the G20 Leaders' Summit on November 15 and 16. Barricades in both streets - Howard Street on the CBD side of the Brisbane River and Merivale Street on the South Brisbane side – are due to go up early next week. Howard Street sits behind the Marriott Hotel believed to be the overnight home for US president Barack Obama.

Fences around SW1 residential units inside the red zone. Merivale Street runs right beside the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre where the world leaders will meet. Ciccio's racks up about 50 per cent of its trade on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but will be temporarily shut over the G20 long weekend starting on November 14. Pure Tastes cafe operator Jamie Andrew. "We got a letter asking us to close," she said.

"Because most of our business is from people staying in the hotels, a lot of people are going away because there is the public holiday. Merivale Street outside the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. "So that means our main customers won't be around." She believes the police and security presence will understandably be very heavy in their area. Jena Arling and Helene Barrie will take time away from their workplaces inside the G20 red zone.

Official documents show barricades going up at the Fortitude Valley end of Adelaide Street – outside the Marriott and Ciccio's pasta bar - from midnight Tuesday. So sadly for Obama, it means he will be unable to try Ciccio's home-made gnocchi and pappardelle if he has the inclination – and if he is staying at the Marriott. South of the river It is in Merivale Street in South Brisbane where the first businesses have asked for compensation as their trade slumps dramatically and where one residential complex has paid $3000 to erect security fences. Brad Hamilton, the general manager and owner of the high-profile Era Bistro and Cafe on the corner of Merivale and Melbourne streets, said his trade has collapsed since the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre carparks were closed.

"It has 1500 car parks and it closed two and half weeks ago. And our foot traffic diminished significantly. My cafe alone dropped 35 per cent and last week was down 45 per cent," he said. He said the bistro was booked for four major functions but organisers had cancelled because guests feared they would not get into the area. Era Bistro will now close Friday and Saturday. He said businesses in the area had had five briefings with senior police. He had been informed there was no compensation for losses and that they should not really open. "Well I can tell you it is critical for me to keep my door open. I have bills to pay. I can't just shut my door. I have 40 staff that rely on me. That is pretty important. That is pretty critical," he said.

He is trying not to be bitter. "But I don't think that the local government have [a] real idea when it gets down to the business side of things," Mr Hamilton said. Steve Wright, the residential manager of nearby Merivale Street's SW1 residential complex, said their body corporate had paid $3000 for security fences and extra for security guards. "I think the body corporate did bring compensation up with the taskforce liaison officers and he seemed to indicate that – while he was concerned that businesses felt the need to hire fencing and security guards – he did not think compensation was available," Mr Wright said. "I mean it has cost the body corporate quite a few thousand dollars."

Last month, council, government and police organisers ruled out compensation for businesses. Brisbane City Council's G20 coordination unit executive manager Peter Rule said the economy was sharing the summit's cost. "There is a trade-off between the short-term cost and the potential for a long-term benefit," he said. "If we put on a good show, through what Brisbane has to offer, there's every chance that we'll get a higher reputation and brand recognition as a great place to come, a great place to holiday and a great place to do business." Mr Wright said the residents at SW1 were understandably nervous.

"We have never gone through this before in Brisbane. We just have to take all the appropriate precautions," he said. "I mean it is hard to envisage the extent of the protests. Everybody has images of what happened in Toronto at the last G20." Queensland Police insists Brisbane is different to Toronto. Pure Tastes coffee inside the SW1 complex is dreading G20 week. Manager Jamie Andrew said most of the residents in their SW1 complex – where he derives 80 per cent of his trade - had told him they were leaving Brisbane for G20 week.

"They are going to be away next week, because they can't use the public transport and they can't use the car parks, because it is closed," he said. "Plus there is going to be a fence all around here [Merivale Street]". North of the river On the other side of the Brisbane River, Howard Street at Petrie Bight boasts several high-rise accommodation complexes – Admiralty Towers and Admiralty Towers 11 – and backs on to The Marriott Hotel. The hotel fronts both Adelaide and Howard streets, along the river in the shadow of Brisbane's Story Bridge. One day this week, Fairfax Media counted three sets of plain clothes police, security experts or detectives, with weapons clearly on show, walking in and out of the hotel.

One hundred metres from the Marriott is Ciccio's Pasta Bar on the corner of Adelaide and Macrossan streets. Lily O'Neill is a project manager working on the large Grocon project in Adelaide Street. She has lived for 10 years in Admiralty Towers 1. "We're expecting total chaos really," Ms O'Neill said. "We will be walking everywhere and – to be honest I rarely use my car – but I'm just expecting total chaos." She said lot of information has been provided to residents.

"They have shown us where the exclusion zones, where the restricted zones are and when the streets will be closed off," she said. Collecting groceries will be the biggest challenge. "Driving out to get groceries, just with the roads closed over the weekend. And I also have someone flying in, so I have to collect them from the airport," she said. "But you just have to work around it." Ms O'Neill knows what to expect.

"I was in New York about three weeks ago when the United Nations summit was on – and you know what – the same stuff happened," she said. "Obama was in town and it's just what happened. You just work with it really." Nearby, Melanie Searle sits having lunch in a Petrie Bight park, just outside the Red Zone, with the Story Bridge over her shoulder. Her workplace, Flight Centre, has its global and Australian corporate headquarters directly opposite the Marriott Hotel, on the corner of Queen and Adelaide streets. A thousand employees are based in the headquarters.

"So we have had a week's worth of communications about how the operation will be affected," the human resources department employee said. "We obviously know there will be road closures in and around the city, so we have been advised to make plans for extended travel times to and from work, use the ferries, walk, use bikes where possible." Some critical parts of the business have already been moved off-site. Barricades will be in place close to Flight Centre, most likely surrounding the building. "Obviously we have very secure access protocols in place next week," she said.

"But you are never going to know exactly what it is like until the week progresses." She expects the biggest problem will be getting to work. While she can walk, many of her employees don't have the same option. "It will be very interesting to see how people that have a further commute, actually get on," she said. However Grape Therapy wine bar owner Rory Lundin is optimistic, but realistic.

His downstairs wine bar boasts a fantastic poster of crooner and Rat Pack member Dean Martin at the front door. "We will just play it normal for the next week and see what happens," he said. He shrugs his shoulders to suggestions that a wine bar near hotels packed with G20 delegates should do well over the weekend. "As I said, I will let you know when the event passes," he said. "But I think a lot of people are heading out of town."

He said a lot of nearby businesses were closing on November 12 and 13 ahead of G20 because of disruptions caused by motorcades. "I think in the area generally there is going to be less activity. But I'm hopeful," he said. Loading "But I do know a lot of people are leaving town." Red Zones: The Maps