While the debate around government-mandated labor costs gets most of the spotlight in the discussion of financial challenges facing Denver restaurants, high rent is perhaps a bigger problem. Restaurants can always cut back on staff or hours to cut costs, but that rent check is due every month.
For Ben Todd, owner of Full Afterburner Calzones on Broadway, the rent is just too damn high.
“Everything costs too much, and everyone’s tightening their belts,” he says. “You know who’s not tightening their belts? Commercial landlords. The rent never goes down.”…