{
  "name": "Denver Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks",
  "description": "Gross margin, net margin, cost-share, labor, and market-size benchmarks for independent restaurants in Denver, Colorado. Ranges are planning benchmarks for owner-operated businesses, not forecasts.",
  "version": "2026 city benchmark edition",
  "city": "Denver",
  "state": "Colorado",
  "industry": "Restaurant",
  "reviewStatus": "screening",
  "coverage": "Independent restaurant operators in Denver, Colorado; national chains, franchise groups, and multi-unit operators excluded unless noted",
  "dataCompiledAt": "2026-06-22",
  "sourcesVerifiedAt": "2026-09-27",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "sourcePage": "https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/denver/",
  "citation": "HustleFin (2026). Denver Restaurant Profit Margin Benchmarks. Retrieved from https://hustlefin.com/benchmarks/restaurant/city/denver/",
  "metrics": [
    {
      "key": "gross_margin_pct",
      "label": "Gross margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 55,
      "average": 63,
      "high": 68
    },
    {
      "key": "net_margin_pct",
      "label": "Net margin",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 0,
      "average": 3,
      "high": 5
    },
    {
      "key": "labor_cost_pct",
      "label": "Labor cost (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 32,
      "average": 37,
      "high": 42
    },
    {
      "key": "rent_cost_pct",
      "label": "Rent (% of revenue)",
      "unit": "percent",
      "low": 5,
      "average": 7,
      "high": 10
    },
    {
      "key": "typical_revenue",
      "label": "Typical revenue",
      "unit": "text",
      "value": "$300,000 – $2,200,000/year for independent Denver restaurants"
    }
  ],
  "labor": {
    "minimumWage": "$19.29/hr (Denver city, no tip credit)",
    "stateMinimumWage": "$15.16/hr (Colorado state, $12.14 tipped)",
    "tippedWage": "$19.29/hr (full minimum, no tip credit allowed)",
    "note": "Denver's ordinance overrides Colorado state law for businesses within city limits. All workers must receive $19.29/hr in direct wages. This is the highest restaurant labor cost in the pilot."
  },
  "market": [
    {
      "label": "Estimated restaurants",
      "value": 3600
    },
    {
      "label": "Commercial rent range",
      "value": "$25–32/sqft (RiNo/LoHi), $18–24/sqft (South Broadway/Colfax)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Sales tax on food",
      "value": "8.81% on prepared food (4.0% state + 4.81% Denver); unprepared food exempt"
    },
    {
      "label": "Special fees",
      "value": "COLORADO FAMLI paid leave insurance (0.9% of wages); Denver Healthy Families Workplace Act sick leave"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Colorado Department of Revenue",
      "url": "https://tax.colorado.gov/",
      "note": "State sales tax and local tax collection rules."
    },
    {
      "label": "U.S. Census Bureau — County Business Patterns",
      "url": "https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html",
      "note": "Establishment counts and payroll by industry and geography. Source of the estimated business counts on this page."
    },
    {
      "label": "BLS OEWS — Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO",
      "url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_19740.htm",
      "note": "Metropolitan-area occupational wage estimates from the BLS OEWS program."
    },
    {
      "label": "National Restaurant Association — Research",
      "url": "https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/",
      "note": "Industry operations data and cost-structure research for US restaurants."
    },
    {
      "label": "City and County of Denver",
      "url": "https://www.denvergov.org/",
      "note": "City business licensing, sales tax, and local fee schedules."
    }
  ]
}