Kunc's Colorado Edition

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. * * * * * Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: NOCO@KUNC.org Like what you're