DENVER — Serving the Mile High City can be challenging. Still, for the past nine years, Coperta Italian restaurant has become a neighborhood staple thanks to support from both new and old customers.
“We’ve been happy to make new regulars through the years, but certainly, our regular business, our consistent business, is what keeps the doors open,” said Paul Reilly, culinary director of Coperta.
Coming up on a decade of business, Coperta has seen changes throughout the uptown neighborhood, along with changes to the cost of employment as Denver’s minimum wage has increased. Back in 2020, the minimum wage was $12.85 per hour; now, in 2024, it is $18.29, and it will go to $18.81 in 2025.
“We have definitely, over the years, been more prepared year after year for the minimum wage increases. It’s something that we absolutely want to provide for our staff. It’s something that we take …