Denver announces liaison program amidst tensions with restaurant owners

Denver is hoping that a new program will help fry the beef between its mayor and its restaurateurs.

After months of simmering tensions between the two parties, Visit Denver and the Denver Economic Development & Opportunity announced a liaison program Tuesday to help connect stakeholders and identify issues surrounding the city’s restaurant sector.

“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, in a news release. “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 six-month program will be led by two people — Dana Faulk Query, co-owner of the restaurant group that operates several establishments including Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, and Adam Schlegel, co-founder of Snooze A.M. Eatery — and will work with both restaurant owners and the city to develop recommendations for how to work together in advancing the sector, according to the release. 

Representatives from Visit Denver did not respond to questions about how the program would affect Denver’s tipped minimum wage policy Tuesday afternoon.

The announcement comes just months after several major downtown restauranteurs signed onto a letter written by Dana’s husband and co-owner, Dave Query, that expressed frustrations with Mayor Mike Johnston not delivering on promises he made while on the campaign trail.

In letter to Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver restaurants say they're now watching downtown 'fall completely apart'

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“You ran your entire campaign platform on restoring our Downtown Denver business districts,” Query said in the February letter. “It has gotten worse since you took the position of Mayor, even though you have received $550M towards stewarding it in a different direction.”

Dave Query also told The Denver Gazette at the time that he didn’t think the city’s $570 million public development plan would directly address the issues that were plaguing restaurants the most, highlighting encounters with homeless people and drug users in close proximity of their establishments.

“If we ran our businesses, our restaurants, like the way this city runs, we’d be out of business,” Dave Query said at the time. “It takes forever to get something done.”

Dave Query did not respond to The Denver Gazette’s request for an interview Tuesday.

“The restaurant sector plays a pivotal role in our city’s economy, workforce and quality of life,” said Adeeb Khan, executive director of Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, in the release. “This liaison team will play an important role to bring together best practices, and expertise to improve outcomes for our food and beverage industry.”

Denver Gazette reporter Bernadette Berdychowski contributed to this article

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