Over the past year, we have interviewed community members, business owners, and Boulderites who have come together during these challenging times to support each other and the businesses that make Boulder special. This story wouldn’t be complete without highlighting one of the leaders in the Boulder Restaurant industry who has spearheaded efforts to protect independent restaurants both here in Colorado and across the nation.

Bobby Stuckey, co–founder, managing partner, and Master Sommelier of Frasca Hospitality Group, and co-founder of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, is a household name in the Boulder Hospitality world. Bobby has recently helped win over $28 billion for independent restaurants across the nation as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, in which the Independent Restaurant Coalition fought on behalf of restaurant owners and employees across the nation.

While it’s hard to draw positives from the year we are just now beginning to recover from, Bobby hopes that the struggles of the last year will lead to better representation in DC for independent restaurants. The reality is, the industry witnessed a 25% reduction in participants, and over 110 thousand restaurants have been lost to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has inspired the formation of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which has successfully lobbied relief for the industry and created an advocacy pipeline that will long live this dark period.

Long term, the Independent Restaurant Coalition strives to create economic buoyancy in the restaurant industry and build a better foundation for small restaurants to stand on, so this mass closure of business in the industry never happens again.

If you are an owner or employee of an independent restaurant that needs help or if you would like to support the Independent Restaurant Coalition, visit www.saverestaurants.com and learn what you can do today!

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