what we’re up against…
Independent restaurants are closing every single day in Colorado. More than 220 restaurants closed in Denver in 2024 alone.
We want our restaurants and teams to thrive, but we have to be open for business in order for that to happen.
In this industry, there are a few simple truths:
Tipped workers (servers and bartenders) make a lot more per hour than non-tipped workers (cooks, dishwashers). Almost twice as much, on average.
Hourly wages in Colorado are now higher than in New York City… and, actually, almost everywhere else in the world. Our state’s wages have increased 216% in the past eight years, outpacing every other state in the country.
Tipped workers want to keep their tips.
HB25-1208 (Restaurant Relief Act) doesn’t change Colorado’s minimum wage, which will keep going up every year based on inflation.
What this bill does change is the tip offset that operators can use to stay open, pay cooks and dishwashers more per hour, hire more staff for the front of the house, and stop trying to figure out how to go from full service to counter service. Because without changes to the tip offset, independent restaurants with full service and traditional tipping are going to be a thing of the past.
The facts don't lie:
Everything restaurants need to operate is more expensive this year than last, without exception.
Restaurant visits nationally — and in Denver— are down.
Margins aren’t just thin, they’re gone.
It’s also true that the burden of running a successful business falls on owners. No one made us take the risk of opening a restaurant, but we do it because we’re passionate about hospitality and we care about our teams and communities.
The unintended consequences of rising costs makes running a restaurant in Colorado nearly impossible right now. This bill is where we start to help.
We hope you can understand what we’re up against, and, if you do, help us keep serving you by taking action today.
