Denver's Latino Community Seeks Solutions Amid Rising Costs, Workforce Shortages

Community leaders, business owners, and advocates gather to address affordability, immigration challenges, and policy changes.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 12:41am

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a stack of colorful restaurant receipts, a calculator, and a pen on a clean, monochromatic background, symbolizing the financial pressures facing Latino-owned businesses in Denver.A conceptual still life captures the financial strain on Latino-owned businesses in Denver as they navigate rising costs and workforce shortages.Denver Today

Affordability continues to be a major concern for Coloradans, and for many Latino families, the pressure is only growing. Community leaders, business owners, and advocates met in Denver over the weekend to discuss solutions to rising costs, workforce shortages, and immigration challenges facing the Latino community.

Why it matters

The Latino community in Colorado contributes over $40 billion to the state's economy each year, but more than half of Latino voters say they're struggling to afford basic needs. Small business owners, like the Robles family who run a chain of restaurants, are having to cut staff and hours due to decreased revenue and fears around immigration enforcement.

The details

For more than a decade, Camelia Robles and her family have run restaurants like Coco Pirata, serving their community. But now, customers are cutting back, leading the Robles to cut hours for about 15% of their staff across nine restaurants and seeing a 20% drop in revenue. Robles says fears about immigration enforcement are also making it harder to attract staff and customers, which is why they've held off on raising menu prices. Nonprofits like Adelante Community Development, which provides resources to small businesses, are also struggling after losing a $6 million federal grant, forcing cuts to staff and programs.

  • The community-led conversation hosted by UnidosUS took place over the weekend in Denver.

The players

Camelia Robles

Co-owner of a chain of restaurants in the Denver area, including Coco Pirata.

Maria Gonzalez

Representative from Adelante Community Development, a nonprofit that provides resources to small businesses.

Ken Salazar

Former U.S. Interior Secretary who spoke at the community-led conversation.

UnidosUS

A national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization that hosted the community conversation in Denver.

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What they’re saying

“If we don't have the cash flow coming in, it's hard to keep employees or maintain the same hiring process we had in prior years.”

— Camelia Robles, Co-owner, Coco Pirata restaurants

“We've had businesses, especially in Commerce City, where immigration enforcement was present outside their buildings.”

— Maria Gonzalez, Representative, Adelante Community Development

“People need to get engaged, get informed and take action.”

— Ken Salazar, Former U.S. Interior Secretary

What’s next

Salazar says the action could show up at the ballot box this November and in 2028, as community members work to turn their concerns into real policy solutions.

The takeaway

The Latino community in Colorado is facing significant challenges with affordability and workforce shortages, leading business owners and advocates to seek collaborative solutions. By engaging the community and pushing for policy changes, they hope to support small businesses and families struggling to make ends meet.