Founded in 1933, the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) is the champion for our State’s restaurant and hospitality industry. We are trusted leaders for our community, protecting, serving, and promoting success from entry level to ownership.
The Colorado Restaurant Foundation (CRF) was established in 1987. As the philanthropic arm of the CRA, the CRF’s mission is to help individuals in our industry advance and thrive.
Advocacy
The 2025 Colorado State General Assembly session ran from January 8 to May 7. Click below to learn about the CRA’s legislative accomplishments in 2024 and what we tracked in 2025.
Compliance Center Resources
Ever-changing laws – at both federal and state levels – can hurt your business if you don’t understand the laws or know how to comply. Click below to find tools and templates that you can use to bring your business into compliance.
CRF Health & Wellness Resource Center
The Colorado Restaurant Foundation has compiled industry-specific resources to help local workers further their mental, physical, and financial health and wellness. Click below for hotlines, affordable healthcare providers, community groups, podcasts, and more!
About Colorado’s Restaurant Industry
We are proud to serve as the voice for Colorado’s dynamic restaurant industry. Imbued with tradition and bursting with innovation, foodservice is a leading driver of Colorado’s economy.
The Colorado hospitality industry at-a-glance:
- 14,400+ eating and drinking locations in Colorado
- 69% percent of Colorado restaurants — and 89% of the CRA’s dues-paying members – are independently owned and operated.
- Restaurants account for 11% of the state’s workforce.
- Annually, restaurants drive $28+ billion in retail sales and $426 million in state sales tax revenue to the Colorado economy.
