Keeping a restaurant open and profitable has never been more difficult. Rising food costs due to inflation, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and a highly competitive labor market have created significant hurdles for restaurant owners across Colorado. Recruiting and retaining both front-of-house staff and kitchen employees has become increasingly difficult, especially as wage expectations grow and […]
In the News
Parker Chronicle: Parker makes itself known at Capitol
Around 40 of Parker’s elected officials, town staff and business owners spent a day at the state Capitol to learn how and why they should lobby for the town’s interest. The group heard from state representatives and the executive director of the Colorado Competitive Council, which is a nonprofit organization focused on economic development and […]
Compete Colorado: House Bill 1208: Price controls for a minimum wage mistake
What happens when the price of eggs soars? People buy fewer eggs and start looking for substitutes. What would happen if, say, government set a $10 minimum price on a dozen eggs, higher than the usual price in stores these days? People would buy fewer eggs, yet producers would want to sell all the eggs […]
Denver Gazette: Earth to politicians: It’s still the economy, stupid
Our local, state and national politicians all seem to have gotten distracted already from the message voters sent last fall. It’s not about Ukraine, tariffs, DOGE, unions or assault weapons. It’s about the fact that we can’t afford the increasing cost of our lives. … A recent Colorado Chamber report found that Colorado is the […]
9 News: New streaming show highlights Colorado business news
Ryan Frazier and Ed Sealover with the Colorado Chamber help break down business-related topics impacting Coloradans with each episode of the Business Buzz. Watch the full clip here.
Summit Daily: Opinion | Bruce Butler: Colorado is on the road to California
In December the Colorado Chamber of Commerce released the results of a commissioned third-party regulatory impact study that determined Colorado has the sixth highest number of business restrictions in the nation, with “nearly 45% of its 200,000 regulations being excessive or duplicative.” Formally titled, the “Regulation Impact Analysis Report 2024,” the study further concluded that, “for […]
Colorado Politics: Colorado Senate passes union-backed bill amid objections from business community
The Colorado Senate on Tuesday passed a proposal to eliminate a key requirement before a labor group can negotiate with a company to impose dues on non-union members. The fate of Senate Bill 005, which senators sent to the House following a 22-12 party-line vote, remains uncertain. … Colorado Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren […]
Colorado Newsline: Bill that would ease union formation earns final Colorado Senate approval
The Colorado Senate gave final approval to a bill Tuesday that would make it easier to form unions in Colorado, following hours of arguments in opposition from Republicans last week. Senate Bill 25-5 would eliminate a second election mandated by Colorado’s Labor Peace Act to form a union, a requirement that is unique to Colorado. […]
Westword: Proposed Colorado Law Would Cut Base Wages for Denver’s Tipped Employees
In the last ten years, the minimum wage for tipped workers in Denver has more than tripled and the resulting increase in labor cost has played a major factor in the closure of many local restaurants. Now, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would roll back those increases. … Groups backing the bill include […]
Denver 7: Proposed wage-related bill hopes to bring relief to struggling Colorado restaurant owners
For the last four years, Roy Benoit and wife Casey Keller have prided themselves on serving up good food and good memories at Wendell’s Diner on Tennyson Street in Denver. “It’s not a clock-in-clock-out type of gig, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Benoit said. … On Friday, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce […]