Visit Denver, Denver Economic Development & Opportunity and inKind facilitated the Restaurant Liaison Project
DENVER (Feb. 27, 2026) — Today the 2025 State of Denver Restaurants: Challenges Facing the Sector was published with an accompanying Executive Summary. The report, led by two industry veterans, provides the perspectives of Denver restaurant owners and operators as well as data to help support and advance Denver’s food and beverage industry. This effort was made possible by a novel collaboration between Visit Denver, Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) and hospitality technology company, inKind.
To ensure broad representation, the liaison team gathered input from restaurants across the City and County of Denver, representing a wide range of neighborhoods, price points, years in operation and business models. Restaurant owners were invited to share feedback, experiences and data through multiple sources including an online survey portal presented in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The team hosted listening sessions, roundtables and one-on-one interviews with restaurant owners and operators as well as those in adjacent industries. In addition, they met with City and County of Denver agencies to better understand regulatory and operational challenges. The resulting recommendations are rooted in best practices from around the country to address issues facing the industry and support the long-term health of the sector.
The Restaurant Liaison project was led by two respected industry veterans:
Dana Faulk Query is co-owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, which operates Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, The Post, Centro Mexican Kitchen and several other concepts. As a nonprofit leader, she has served on the boards of Zero Foodprint, Boulder County Farmers Market, National Association of Asian American Professionals, Downtown Boulder Partnership and others.
Adam Schlegel is a long-time restaurateur and food and beverage consultant through Cumulus, Etc LLC. Adam is the co-founder of Snooze A.M. Eatery and Chook Chicken and has served on the boards of Colorado Health Foundation, Visit Denver, Colorado Restaurant Response and others. He also led the Denver Public Market initiative working to align food and agriculture alignment throughout Colorado.
“This document is a high-level summary of the larger body of work. It is intended to be a point of entry for The State of Denver Restaurants 2025, which should be read in its entirety,” said Schlegel. “The State of Denver Restaurants is the industry’s collective voice, and a comprehensive resource that can guide coordinated action among all stakeholders, for the good of the sector and the City.”
“These challenges presented are not insurmountable. Rebalancing wage financing while maintaining high wage standards, streamlining regulatory processes, improving affordability and bolstering public safety are interventions not only to preserve what exists but to set the stage for a vibrant, diverse and resilient restaurant sector moving forward,” said Query. “Restaurant operators are not asking for deregulation or a rollback of worker protections, but for clear, proportionate systems grounded in economic reality, enabling sustainable planning, hiring and investing,”
“Restaurants are one of the pillars of Denver’s economy and part of our cultural identity,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver. “From your favorite neighborhood bistro to our new Michelin-star restaurants, and cherished events like Denver Restaurant Week and Denver Food & Wine Festival, the food and beverage industry is one of the most visible and treasured parts of what makes Denver such a great place to live, work and visit. This liaison effort builds on our longstanding work to support the industry and ensure it thrives for the betterment of Denver as we continue to attract visitors from across the country and around the world.”
“The restaurant sector is vital to our city’s economy, workforce and quality of life,” said Adeeb Khan, executive director of Denver Economic Development & Opportunity. “Our City processes and policies must be designed to ensure that opening and operating a business in Denver is simple, fast and effective. While the city has made tremendous strides over the last year, we also know there is more to do. We value this candid feedback led by two industry experts and directly from business owners and plan to take it under strong consideration to ensure Denver is one of the best cities to do business with and that we are implementing best practices and expertise to improve outcomes for our food and beverage industry.”
“Since we were founded, inKind’s mission to support growing restaurants with the best form of financing, as well as other tools, has never wavered. Finding new ways to ensure success in our industry is always front of mind,” said Jonathan de Wolff, chief sustainability officer at inKind. “As operators ourselves, we know how challenging it can be to succeed in an obstacle-filled environment. So, we’re excited to partner in this Denver initiative, pursuing a collaborative approach to finding ways to positively impact operators, their teams and the guests they serve.”
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About Visit Denver
Celebrating 117 years of promoting the Mile High City, Visit Denver is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Denver welcomed more than 37.1 million visitors in 2024, generating $10.3 billion in spending, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs and making Tourism one of the city’s largest industries. Learn more about Denver at Visit Denver or Tourism Pays Denver. Follow Denver’s social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About DEDO
Denver Economic Development & Opportunity works to create an economy that works for everyone. Learn more at denvergov.org/dedo or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram @DenverDEDO
About inKind
inKind is the leader in restaurant financing and consumer loyalty, built by operators, for operators. Founded in 2017, the company provides a unique form of sustainable capital to the hospitality industry, having infused over $450 million into more than 6,000 restaurants nationwide. inKind’s portfolio spans from local "mom and pop" independent favorites to world-renowned culinary organizations, including José Andrés Group, MINA Group, and Ethan Stowell Restaurants, as well as award-winning independents like Kann and Xiquet.
For diners, inKind is a premier app-based marketplace that rewards loyalty with exclusive bonuses and seamless transactions. By aligning the interests of restaurant owners and their guests, inKind creates a sustainable ecosystem that enhances the dining experience for over 4 million users. Discover more at inkind.com and follow @inkind.app.