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(Provided by Gigafact)

Yes.

The Colorado Tourism Office, along with tourism boards in Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek and Snowmass, have contributed between $70,000 and $100,000 annually since 2023 to bring Michelin inspectors to restaurants in their cities. 

Sponsorships from food brands, liquor distributors, hotel chains and tourism agencies help fund the Michelin Guide and its reviewers. While the money does not guarantee that restaurants will receive Michelin recognition, it solidifies these cities as locations that inspectors will visit. 

Several other cities and states across the U.S. have reported similar sponsorship deals to bring the Michelin guide to their area. In 2023, Atlanta spent $1 million on a three-year contract with the guide, and five Texas cities invested a total of $2.7 million over three years to receive Michelin coverage. Fifty Colorado restaurants received Michelin recognition in 2025, nine of which earned Michelin stars. 

See full source list below.

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References:

Michelin’s coveted stars can come with some costs, The New York Times, Sept. 12, 2023. Source link

Michelin Guide returns to Atlanta: Who’s footing the bill?, Eater, Oct. 8, 2024. Source link

Texas bets $2.7 million that Michelin Guide will provide tourism boost to 5 Texas cities, KERA News, Aug. 7, 2024. Source link

Michelin Guide announces first two-Star restaurant in Colorado, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Sept. 15, 2025. Source link

Type of Story: Fact-Check

Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.

Tyler has spent the last three years reporting on the environment, culture and local government in Colorado. Most recently, he spent time as a staff reporter and photographer for Boulder Weekly, where he covered the rapidly growing city of Longmont...