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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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To: ChicagoConservative27
What a great idea! Just when restaurants are reeling from an increase is labor costs, let's hit their business with another cost increase via a tax. As the restaurants try to pass these costs onto the consumer via higher prices, surely restaurant patrons will go out to eat more often because now it costs more. Oh wait...that's not how the Laws of Supply and Demand work...you moron.
21 posted on 02/27/2025 11:07:52 AM PST by econjack
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To: ChicagoConservative27
"Learn to cook."

~ Me in Ann Arbor, Michigan

22 posted on 02/27/2025 11:12:25 AM PST by Rocky Mountain Wild Turkey ("I have an open mind ... just not so open that my brain falls out onto the floor!!")
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To: ChicagoConservative27

So the state is taking over restaurants?


23 posted on 02/27/2025 11:14:37 AM PST by Ge0ffrey
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To: ChicagoConservative27

So the wage goes up 20% and so does the cost to eat there plus tax on that?

Sounds like the minimum wage person is losing out on that deal.


24 posted on 02/27/2025 11:15:02 AM PST by Dan Zachary
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To: ChicagoConservative27

I am a generous tipper.
But,
When told what I have to tip, I hold my generosity in my pocket.
Mike Johnston is not thinking as a businessman. (must be a jerk)
Let Mike open a restaurant if he wants to “tackle restaurant woes!”


25 posted on 02/27/2025 11:16:54 AM PST by BatGuano
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Letting all those refugees from California was a great idea.


26 posted on 02/27/2025 11:20:30 AM PST by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again," )
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To: ChicagoConservative27; george76

There’s a restaurant called Gaetano’s on 38th and Tejon. Famous locally for being an old Italian mafia hangout or something. I drive by there on my way to work every day. Been meaning to go there someday and try it out.

I truly hope it survives Denver’s moron -I mean mayor.


27 posted on 02/27/2025 11:21:24 AM PST by RandallFlagg (Democrats should have been barred from elections since The Battle Of Athens.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Liberals always think they can just order people to pay more. They never learn.


28 posted on 02/27/2025 11:21:38 AM PST by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

There goes the restaurant business.


29 posted on 02/27/2025 11:23:35 AM PST by From The Deer Stand (Mp)
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To: george76

Colorado ping

(Forgot to add that to my earlier post_


30 posted on 02/27/2025 11:27:14 AM PST by RandallFlagg (Democrats should have been barred from elections since The Battle Of Athens.)
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Not enough folks know what really hard work ethnic is.
That’s the root of this problem. Life gets hard and mean and blue haired wimpy people need government funded mental health care.
Schools have focused entirely on anti bullying and not taught young folks any coping skills. Generations are lazy and believe they have a right to tell their boss what to do.

Most recent high profile example Rachel Maddow. WP opinion writers. Many examples of people quitting jobs because of woke or lack of woke.

Trump needs to Make Working Great Again. It is excellent for mental health to be tired at end of day. Sleep better.

For a person’s self esteem and sense of accomplishment. Many other advantages to the psyche’s health.


31 posted on 02/27/2025 11:27:38 AM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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Work ethic. Like Trump. Work as hard as he does, then talk to me.


32 posted on 02/27/2025 11:28:53 AM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

If the don’t comply, put parking meters in front of all Denver restaurants and force these establishments to install pay toilets!


33 posted on 02/27/2025 11:35:21 AM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

If I was a restaurant owner in Denver I would close my doors and tell Mike to go take a walk.

Ummmm, i believe that, well. Let’s just say, Bless his heart.


34 posted on 02/27/2025 11:37:07 AM PST by drSteve78 ( Older Je suis Deplorable. Even more so)
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To: cp124

Colordo is sinking, politically, into a California clone. I know some Liberal folks from New York that moved there. Maybe that’s the problem.


35 posted on 02/27/2025 11:37:39 AM PST by Wuli (qq)
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To: cp124

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

Liberals can outspend an unlimited budget.


36 posted on 02/27/2025 11:38:18 AM PST by drSteve78 ( Older Je suis Deplorable. Even more so)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

If I were somewhere around, I would start a restaurant just on the city line.
That’s probably what will happen. Most restaurants will relocate just enough to get out of the city!

Long time ago, Chicago mayor Daley got a great idea!
Let us rise Hotel taxes (a lot!) and let the out of towners pay for our spending! He was actually very proud of it!
Unfortunately, most of the hotels just moved to the city limits, out of the reach of mayor.


37 posted on 02/27/2025 11:39:15 AM PST by AZJeep
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To: ChicagoConservative27

It really is fascinating watch stupid leftists continue to dig into deeper holes of stupid with bigger and bigger shovels in an attempt to fix the initial hole of stupid they dug.


38 posted on 02/27/2025 11:45:31 AM PST by suasponte137
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Meanwhile restaurants close and people lose their job. Good work there mayor.


39 posted on 02/27/2025 11:52:04 AM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Next up: Why are there restaurant deserts in Denver?


40 posted on 02/27/2025 11:53:45 AM PST by throwthebumsout
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