Reader: If Restaurants Don't Get Relief, a Lot Will Be Out of Business

The big food news — and noise — this week was all about the restaurant relief bill that went before a committee at the Colorado Legislature and made it out after hours of testimony from close to 200 people. Many pushed stats that have since been debunked. No, 20 percent of Denver restaurants did not close in the last year; while there was a 22 percent drop in the total number of active licenses over the last four years, that's in part because the city changed what it classified as a restaurant. Starting in 2024, food trucks, food stands at festivals and other events, and businesses such as take-and-bake pizza places and vendors at sports venues were no longer counted in the same category as brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Opponents of the measure also played a numbers game with the proposal to allow some cities to drop the tipped minimum wage down to the state's required level. But while the stats were confusing, it's clear that things are bad for restaurants these days, as readers recognize in their comments on the Westword Facebook post about the bill. Says James:

Struggling workers can increase their value with the experience, especially when they start with little to no experience, then find a new job reapplying pressure to employers. Otherwise, remain on the course and have no jobs furthering the struggles for everyone.

Replies Kevin: 

Struggling restaurant owners can go to work.

Counters Steven:

And they have. One only needs to look at empty restaurant storefronts.. Just proves the point that, no matter what government mandates, the actual effective minimum wage is ALWAYS $0.00... No business, no jobs, no WAGES...

Responds Lucinda: 

Servers should not have to work to help pay the restaurant's bills.Tipped employees are paid less than non-tipped employees. No, the governor should not have to bail them out. Owners need to be responsible for the costs of the restaurant. Yes, they may need to raise prices. Costs are going up on everything. And I'm afraid it will get worse. Customers tip the employee for the service they received. I personally would not want a portion of the tip I give to my server going to the restaurant. Their bills are on them. Not the server.

Offers Dan: 

Restaurants are struggling. They have to pay a brand-new tax that Colorado has enacted since Covid for family leave. Plus, state unemployment has gone through the roof. Restaurants are on such a slim margin, all of them, but this greatly affects them. They need some relief. If they don't get it, lots of restaurants will be out of business.

Notes Sophie:

Rent has doubled in Denver in the last ten years and wages only gone up 30 percent. A LIVING wage in Denver is $29/hr and food service workers deserve every dollar! We won't go back! How about instead of blaming wages, we blame bad bosses who want to exploit workers even more — and greedy landlords who are pushing restaurants out of Denver?

And then there's this from Marty:

It seems to me like restaurant prices are being kept artificially low, if restaurants can't stay in business paying their tipped employees $15ish an hour.

Would you pay more to eat out? What do you think of the proposal to change the minimum tipped wage rules? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].