💵 How much you’ll get as a TABOR refund

🍽️ The Cost of Minimum Wage Increases

The minimum wage in Denver is increasing to $18.29 per hour — $15.27 per hour for tipped employees — but there’s one group that’s not thrilled about it: restaurant owners. A survey conducted by the Colorado Restaurant Association found that nearly 90% of restaurant owners plan to raise their menu prices and cut staff hours to compensate for the higher minimum wage. A representative for the CRA says wages are the main factor for restaurants’ financial troubles, followed by staff shortages and rent prices. [Denver Business Journal]

🎬 The Movie Theater Behind on Rent

The landlord for The Landmark at Greenwood Village is suing the Hollywood-based chain for unpaid rent in the amount of $491,223. The lawsuit claims the lease agreement was restructured in 2021 — possibly because of deferred rent payments during the pandemic — and the theater chain failed to pay rent on several occasions since the new lease. [BusinessDen]

• Double feature: Denver’s Best Movie Theaters (Now That The Esquire Is Closing) [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🏠 The Rental Riddle

A 2021 amendment to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits landlords from rejecting potential renters based on their income source, but fair housing advocates allege that some landlords are using loopholes to get around the law. Advocates are concerned some rental properties are intentionally being priced out of reach for Coloradans using federal housing vouchers. [Colorado Sun]

• Related: How much is Mayor Mike Johnston spending on battling homelessness? [Hey Denver 📰]

💵 Colorado Taxpayers Are Getting a Refund

The state auditor’s office confirmed that Colorado collected $3.6 billion more in tax revenue during the 2023 fiscal year than is allowed under the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (aka TABOR). Legislation passed in November means that each taxpayer in the state will receive a refund of $800, or $1,600 for couples filing together. [Denver Business Journal]

The Fate of Car-Free Streets, Lemonade Scandal Hits Local Paneras, and French Fries!

The beverage of the moment here in Denver — like the rest of the country — comes from an unlikely purveyor: Panera Bread. But local Paneras are making its "Charged Lemonade" harder to access, as the company faces lawsuits alleging that the highly caffeinated sweet treat is more deadly than it seems. Host Bree Davies is joined by producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi to talk through the local lemonade situation — and then they break down the latest fight in RiNo over car-free streets.