DEMOCRATS AT WORK: “Death by a thousand cuts”: Colorado’s restaurant industry in crisis.

The big picture: The food industry in Denver and across Colorado has been battered over the past five years — and it’s adding up.

Rising costs for food, rent and property taxes combined with shrinking profit margins, growing regulatory pressures and budget-conscious diners are all pushing restaurants to the brink, industry experts tell us.

By the numbers: More than 200 restaurants closed statewide in 2024, per the Colorado Sun. Denver alone accounted for 82% of those losses, according to the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA).

In the past three years, the city has lost 22% of its restaurants, the Denver Post reports. Some of the most recent closures include longstanding institutions like Fruition, Lao Wang Noodle House and Melita’s.

What they’re saying: “We’re in this kind of perfect storm moment,” CRA spokesperson Denise Mickelsen tells us. “It’s death by a thousand cuts.”

Zoom in: One major pain point is Denver’s increased tipped minimum wage, which is creating ripple effects industrywide. Local restaurant consultant John Imbergamo says it disproportionately affects back-of-house staff and forces price hikes that turn diners off.

You don’t say.

To top it off, the state assembly in Denver has a set of restaurant-unfriendly bills waiting in the wings.