All over Denver this June, bars and restaurants are turning rainbow cocktails and Pride-themed bites into real money for The Center on Colfax. Through Denver Pride’s new “Eating Out With Pride” campaign, 38 spots at launch, from Steuben’s and Ace Eat Serve to Lady Jane, Root Down, and Voodoo Doughnuts, pledged to send a cut of their Pride-month menus to the nonprofit. The donations range from $0.25 per item to 20% of sales, arriving just as The Center hits its 50th anniversary and reports growing demand for its services.
The citywide effort crowdsources restaurant commitments and keeps a running list of who is in and when on the Denver Pride site. According to Denver Pride, examples include Linger and Root Down donating $5 from specialty Pride cocktails from June 5 through 28, Steuben’s and Ace Eat Serve sending 20% of Pride-menu sales for the month, and Voodoo Doughnuts giving $0.25 per Pride Bar sold at its Colfax and Broadway shops. The page also spells out which places are in it for a single day and which are pledging proceeds all month long.
Why Restaurants Are Signing On
Local owners say the campaign mostly shines a spotlight on support that is already baked into Denver’s hospitality scene. “Bars and hospitality spaces have a responsibility to create environments where people feel safe, welcomed, and genuinely seen,” Stuart Weaver of Lady Jane told Westword. Westword also reported that the campaign launched with 38 participating establishments, and that Sam Kennedy, senior director of corporate partnerships at The Center on Colfax, said the organization has seen about a 10% increase in need for services compared with last year.
Where The Money Actually Goes
The Center on Colfax is the largest LGBTQ+ community center in the Rocky Mountain region and leans heavily on festivals and fundraisers to keep its free programs going, including mental-health support, youth services and community outreach. The Center’s 2024 annual report shows PrideFest brought in roughly $2.6 million and that 84% of revenue was reinvested in programs, according to The Center on Colfax. That breakdown helps explain why small cuts from a cocktail or $0.25 from a doughnut can still matter when nonprofit budgets are on the line.
How To Get In On It
To plug in, check the Eating Out With Pride listings for dates and specific pledges before you head out, since some places are doing one-off events and others are giving all month. Denver Pride also sells campaign merch and flags that help fund The Center, and many restaurants ask guests to mention event names or codes so percentage-based donations get counted correctly. Even if you skip the parade, ordering a Pride cocktail or rounding up your tab can quietly route money to local services that run all year.
With The Center on Colfax marking 50 years, the Eating Out With Pride campaign gives Denver’s hospitality scene a way to turn celebration into ongoing support. Between the official campaign lists and The Center’s public financial report, the throughline is clear: small gestures at the table can add up to the dollars that keep local programs operating long after Pride month ends.
