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

In The NoCo

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

By In The NoCo,

Erin O'Toole, Emma VandenEinde, Brad Turner

Published March 25, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

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A photo shows a restaurant kitchen in the background with an empty table in front. Three lamps barely illuminate a person in an apron preparing food in the kitchen — It's expensive to run a restaurant in Colorado right now. And while employee pay is a large portion of those costs, it's not the only driver. "There's so many different things 鈥� rent prices going up, food prices going up, the cost of eggs right now," says 皇冠网址 reporter Emma VandenEinde. "There's so many different things happening all at the same time."

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 . Costs for food and real estate have been on the rise. And for restaurants along Colorado鈥檚 Front Range, there鈥檚 one especially thorny issue: 鈥� employee pay.

For the last few years, Colorado鈥檚 minimum wage has been $14.81 an hour for non-tipped employees 鈥� 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鈥檚.

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

皇冠网址 reporter Emma VandenEinde has been exploring this story. She joined Erin O鈥橳oole to talk about how a aims to help restaurant owners, and the community fallout when a favorite local eatery shuts down.

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In The NoCo

皇冠网址's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of 皇冠网址鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Emma VandenEinde

I'm the General Assignment Reporter and Back-Up Host for 皇冠网址, here to keep you up-to-date on news in Northern Colorado 鈥� whether I'm out in the field or sitting in the host chair. From city climate policies, to businesses closing, to the creativity of Indigenous people, I'll research what is happening in your backyard and share those stories with you as you go about your day.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in 皇冠网址's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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