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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston floats 20% service charge to tackle restaurant woes
denvergazette ^ | 02/26/2025 | Deborah Grigsby

Posted on 02/27/2025 10:47:46 AM PST by ChicagoConservative27

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston wants to add a 20% service charge to local restaurant tabs — and then tax it — to help restaurants cope with the city’s minimum wage and promote what he called pay equity among tipped and non-tipped employees.

On Monday, Johnston told City Cast Denver, a popular podcast, that he has already been discussing the idea with restaurant owners. He didn’t say whether they are on board. He also did not discuss if increasing people's dinner costs would decrease restaurant visits.

Johnston has incurred the ire of some local restauranteurs, who this month penned a letter expressing their frustrations with the city for everything from public safety worries and negative perceptions of downtown to parking and infrastructure needs.

(Excerpt) Read more at denvergazette.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: charge; denver; floats; johnston; mayor; restaurant; service; tackle; woes
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If I was a restaurant owner in Denver I would close my doors and tell Mike to go take a walk.
1 posted on 02/27/2025 10:47:46 AM PST by ChicagoConservative27
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Liberals are awful people with awful ideas. They can’t run an economy even if it is corrupt.


2 posted on 02/27/2025 10:50:24 AM PST by cp124 (Bring back the Constitution.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

The Democrat solution to every problem. Raise prices.


3 posted on 02/27/2025 10:51:43 AM PST by alternatives?
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To: cp124

Someone needs to tell this doofus, that it’s already been tried, and, FAILED, in Cali.


4 posted on 02/27/2025 10:52:48 AM PST by Jane Long (Jesus is Lord!)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Brilliant idea there, Mike. Do this immediately. Denver deserves you. Your wisdom goes unchallenged here.


5 posted on 02/27/2025 10:53:34 AM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) Be careful what you say. Your refrigerator may be listening & reporting you.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27
Taxing the tax is a clever idea. Then they should tax the tax on the tax.

What amuses me is that they're carefully avoiding discussing what a 20% increase in cost is going to do for business. 20% of nothing is nothing.

6 posted on 02/27/2025 10:53:56 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: ChicagoConservative27

I know this game, he floats the 20% idea, but will happily settle for 8-10%. He got it into law and that’s what counts. Meanwhile the leftists residents of Denver will have a collective sigh of relief, ahhh it’s only 10%, it could have been 20%! Dimwits the whole lot.


7 posted on 02/27/2025 10:54:01 AM PST by DAC21
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Restaurants are in trouble in Denver.

Solution: raise prices 20% and then take a chunk of that for taxes. That should increase business. Using MBA math, perhaps?


8 posted on 02/27/2025 10:54:07 AM PST by PAR35
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To: ChicagoConservative27

This will savage the restaurant business in Denver. Denver residence will either eat at home or drive a short distance to save a lot of money.


9 posted on 02/27/2025 10:54:14 AM PST by wildcard_redneck ( )
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Great ! You will help restaurants by making their meals 20% more expensive for the customers !

Why didn’t anyone think of that genius idea before?

It might also help to charge customers for restaurant parking, too.


10 posted on 02/27/2025 10:54:52 AM PST by Gnome1949
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To: Jane Long

“Raise Chickens, not taxes”


11 posted on 02/27/2025 10:55:00 AM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) Be careful what you say. Your refrigerator may be listening & reporting you.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27
to help restaurants cope with the city’s minimum wage

A problem created by out of control government.

Can't be solved by more out of control government.

12 posted on 02/27/2025 10:57:08 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement What shtthoof fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Need to put a 20% tax on all politicians, and then retax that tax and give the revenue to the taxpayers if its such a great idea.


13 posted on 02/27/2025 10:58:12 AM PST by Bommer
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To: Gnome1949

And to fight obesity, enact a calorie index tax to encourage better eating habits. Say, twelve cents per calorie surcharge. Six cents for those with eating disorders since they just throw up their meals anyway.


14 posted on 02/27/2025 10:58:19 AM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) Be careful what you say. Your refrigerator may be listening & reporting you.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27
wants to add a 20% service charge to local restaurant tabs — and then tax it

$100 bill then a $20 service charge. Makes all the sense to me if you want to close down restaurants and bars.....

15 posted on 02/27/2025 11:00:35 AM PST by Hot Tabasco
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Mayor Mike floats in a cesspool of turds created by liberal BS....
He belongs in a padded cell, not government...


16 posted on 02/27/2025 11:01:08 AM PST by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created...")
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Ha.

Another domino falls.


17 posted on 02/27/2025 11:03:04 AM PST by simpson96
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To: ChicagoConservative27

“If I was a restaurant owner in Denver I would close my doors..”

So you own the building or have a lease with penalties...Just close your doors is not usually a viable answer. It’s the family business, or you’ve been building it up for twenty years....

A minimum wage removes the ability for someone to negotiate on their own behalf. Not everybody produces enough equity to cover their costs. Goodwill employed people who could not otherwise hold a job. The minimum wage laws made them fire everyone. Where’s the equity?


18 posted on 02/27/2025 11:03:43 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: ChicagoConservative27

My gawd these people are the worst. But that’s what stupid Denver gets.

Driving through old Aurora yesterday, I saw a fenced-in yard with a Kamal-toe (and many other political signs...Vote Yes on 1A, etc.) still up in their yard. I guess not a person that feels embarrassment.


19 posted on 02/27/2025 11:05:49 AM PST by beaversmom
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To: alternatives?

We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating!

Amos 8:5


20 posted on 02/27/2025 11:07:01 AM PST by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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