We want you to join our member community.
Who are we?
The Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) is the uniting force behind the restaurant industry in Colorado. We bring together our community, impact crucial legislation, cultivate relationships with industry stakeholders, and provide valuable resources to help you run your business.
Why should you join?
Your voice is vital to the success of our community and the industry as a whole. Your investment in CRA membership gives you a platform to share and advocate for your political priorities, gain access to business-building tools, and develop meaningful relationships with your peers across the state.
The CRA is a non-profit organization which relies heavily on membership dues to function. As our membership grows, we can offer even more benefits and services to those who find value in what we do. Increased membership also gives us a stronger presence when lobbying our state and local governments on restaurants’ behalf.
If you feel that we have earned your support and would like to join our member community, restaurants can do so here and vendors here.
More resources available to members:
- 2021 Covid-19 Report: Deep dive into our work on behalf of restaurants during the height of the pandemic
- 2021 Final Legislative Report: What may affect your business — and why — from the 2021 Legislative session
- Document Retention Schedule: Handy schedule from our partners at Henry + Horne. What do you need to keep? What can you toss?
- Alcohol To Go Guidelines and FAQs: In case you are offering alcohol to go, here’s what you need to know!
- United Health Care Programs: Many FREE or low-cost resources you can share with your team, including mental-health and wellness tools
- CRA Job Board: FREE, unlimited job postings for members; we are promoting the heck out of restaurant job opportunities!
In Other News:
- The CRA distributed over $2.5 million to 428 Colorado restaurants through our Colorado Outdoor Dining Grant Program.
- The Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s Angel Relief Fund paid out over $4 million to 3,500+ industry employees since the start of the pandemic.
- We continue to help restaurant employees dealing with hardships through our Angel Relief Fund. You can share this grant application with employees who are struggling, as they may qualify for help.
We have also added some exceptional team members in 2021:
- Denise Mickelsen, former food editor at 5280 magazine, is our new Communication Director. She is thrilled to be supporting restaurants in this new capacity, and she started off strong with a campaign to get people back to work in the industry.
- Mark Antonation, former food editor at Westword, has stepped in to a newly created position of Communication Manager at the Colorado Restaurant Foundation, working to spread the word about the incredible workforce programming the Foundation offers.
Save-the-Date: The Colorado Restaurant and Bar Show will be back at the Denver Convention Center on March 8 and 9, 2022. Reach out to SallyAnn Prier at sprier@corestaurant.org for more information about exhibiting at the show.
Ready to join?
Restaurants can complete an application here.
Vendors can complete an application here.
Need more information? We welcome your questions and comments!
Reach out to: Jen Johnson at jjohnson@corestaurant.org or 303-906-3373
