It’s a tough time to run a restaurant in Colorado. Can state lawmakers do anything to help?

Colorado is a tough state to be a restaurant manager in right now. Every day seems to bring news that another local favorite is closing.  

It's expensive to run a restaurant. Costs for food and real estate have been on the rise. And for restaurants along Colorado’s Front Range, there’s one especially thorny issue: – employee pay. 

For the last few years, Colorado’s minimum wage has been $14.81 an hour for non-tipped employees – more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25.  And the local minimum wage in cities like Denver and Boulder is even higher than the state’s.  

That’s a challenge that many restaurateurs say makes it more difficult to stay afloat. 

KUNC reporter Emma VandenEinde has been exploring this story. She joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how a proposed law aims to help restaurant owners, and the community fallout when a favorite local eatery shuts down.

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

What is In The NOCO?

KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.