An industry study released Friday concludes that Denver is one of the most expensive cities nationwide for eating out, something diners may already know when the check arrives.

What they may not realize is that business costs have risen so much in the city since 2019 that operating a restaurant in Denver is now more expensive than in New York City, the report found.

"That factoid kind of blew my mind," said Dana Faulk Query, co-owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, which operates Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, The Post Chicken and Beer and Centro Mexican Kitchen in Denver.

The report, called the "2025 State of Denver Restaurants: Challenges Facing the Sector" is the output of a task force's monthslong research and surveys of restaurateurs and staff to look at what ails the industry and what can be done about it.

The task force report makes recommendations about improving the health of the Denver restaurant scene and chiefly highlights how policies around tipped minimum wages could be changed to be more cost-effective for employers while maintaining fair compensation for restaurant workers.

> Read the full story at the Denver Business Journal.