DENVER — Friday was the start of the 2025 Denver Restaurant Week.
If you aren’t familiar, you can check out restaurants with set menus of multiple courses for $25, $35, $45 and $55. You can try everything from a local restaurant you haven’t eaten at before to a Michelin restaurant.
It’s designed to get people to eat out at new places during a typically slow time. The inaugural year 83 restaurants participated to boost Denver's food scene when it wasn't as well known. Now, around 300 restaurant are participating.
It comes at a time when restaurants are also facing a series of challenges, like the rising cost of food and supplies.
Emily Bierderman is the COO of Ace Eat Serve and shared this about a conversation she just had with another restaurant owner.
“She said, thank goodness restaurant week is this week,” Bierderman said. “This business industry is hard and always has been. This year in particular, the environment has made challenges at a different level. We are having to cuts we never thought would have too and quite frankly fighting fights thought we wouldn't be fighting.”
Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston was also at the launch.
“I thought about how I go to Ace and play ping pong with my kids,” Mayor Johnston said. “Those are family nights for me."
Two Hands opened in July 2024 off Tennyson Street in Denver. The restaurant is based off the Australian Cafe model and has locations in other cities throughout the country.
"Staffing. That's, you know, that's the biggest challenge that we find with Denver specifically," said Barney Hannagan, a culinary partner with Two Hands. "The wages are kind of moving faster than the restaurant business can move."
Hannagan said Two Hands is using Denver Restaurant Week as a chance to showcase their full menu.
"We're predominantly known for breakfast and brunch, but being an all-day restaurant, we like to kind of get people in and show them we tick the boxes across the whole day," said Hannagan.
You can check out what restaurants are participating here. The event runs through the March 16.
Diner Accounts can be created online to track where individuals eat during Denver Restaurant Week as well.
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