Is a Restaurant Profitable in Denver? (2026 Calculator)
Revenue and cost estimates for a restaurant in Denver, CO, adjusted for local cost of living. Interactive calculator — adjust your numbers to see monthly profit and break-even timeline.
Based on 2026 estimates adjusted for Denver's cost of living (112.0% of national average), a typical restaurant in Denver generates $72,800/month in revenue and nets approximately $10,192/month (14.0% margin) — covering its $104,160 startup investment in roughly 16 months. Use the calculator below to adjust for your specific operation.
Your Numbers
Defaults are Denver-adjusted medians. Adjust to match your operation.
Denver range: $33,600–$168,000
Monthly Profitability
Break-Even Timeline
Time to recover $104,160 startup investment at current monthly profit. Denver benchmark: 12–36 months.
Revenue Allocation
Restaurant Revenue in Denver, CO (#{yr})
Revenue estimates are adjusted from national medians using Denver's cost-of-living index of 112.0 (national average = 100). Higher COL markets have higher customer spending power and local pricing — which flows into revenue estimates.
What drives revenue for a restaurant in Denver:
- Covers per day × average check size
- Lunch vs. dinner split and table turns
- Alcohol sales (typically 30% higher margin than food)
- Labor efficiency (sales per labor hour)
Restaurant Startup Cost in Denver
Starting a restaurant in Denver requires approximately $104,160 upfront plus $17,472/month in ongoing costs (adjusted for local cost of living index 112.0). The profitability calculator above uses these figures to compute your break-even timeline.
What Actually Drives Profitability
Restaurants that track prime cost (food + labor as % of sales) weekly outperform those that don't. The industry benchmark is ≤65% combined prime cost — above that, the business rarely profits. Alcohol sales improve margins significantly.
Restaurant Profitability: Other Markets
Restaurant Profitability: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a restaurant make per year?
The median independent full-service restaurant generates $400,000–$800,000 in annual revenue. After food cost (31%), labor (33%), and overhead (22%), net margins average 3–9%. High-volume restaurants with strong alcohol sales and efficient labor scheduling can exceed 15% net margins.
Is a restaurant profitable?
Profitable restaurants exist, but margins are thin. The keys are prime cost control (food + labor ≤ 65% of sales), strong alcohol sales (30–40% margins vs. 10–15% on food), and location. Restaurants that break even within 18 months typically have experienced operators, second-generation space, and high table turns.
What is the average profit margin for a restaurant?
Average net profit margins for independent full-service restaurants run 3–9%. Fine dining can reach 10–15% with high check averages. Fast casual and QSR concepts target 6–12%. The 'restaurant rule of thirds' — 1/3 food cost, 1/3 labor, 1/3 everything else — leaves 5–10% for profit if executed perfectly.
How many covers does a restaurant need per day to be profitable?
A restaurant with $25,000/month in fixed costs and a $28 average check needs roughly 900 covers/month (43/day) just to cover fixed costs. At $65,000/month revenue (100 covers/day), food and labor consume 64% — leaving 14% ($9,100) for rent, utilities, and profit. Optimize for table turns during peak hours.
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