World News
Reservations for Casa Bonita will soon be open to the general public
It’s time to practice your best Eric Cartman impression because you’ll soon be able to book a reservation at Casa Bonita—no lottery luck necessary.
The famed Lakewood restaurant will officially open to the general public on Oct. 1, owners Matt Stone and Trey Parker told JS in an exclusive interview. That’s the first day reservations are available for anyone looking for food, fun and a festive atmosphere. Bookings open on September 16 at casabonitadenver.com.
Since Casa Bonita made its post-pandemic debut in June 2023, it has become one of the most exclusive dining destinations in Colorado. Until now, the only way to get a table was to enter a lottery and hope for an invitation to buy tickets, which gives entry, a meal and access to all the attractions such as Black Bart’s Cave and the waterfall with its famous cliff are purchased. divers.
Stone and Parker said they did not intend for access to be restricted for so long, but it was necessary to resolve the operational issues of such a unique location. They’ve made some big changes over the past year, plus a soft opening phase as well.
Effective October 1, Casa Bonita will no longer require guests to purchase a pre-paid ticket. Instead, they can make reservations like any other restaurant. Stone and Parker also recently decided to eliminate the buffet line so customers can eat in a more traditional dining format. At the end of the meal, guests receive their check and pay.
However, the prices will not change. Adult entrees cost $29.99 to $39.99, depending on whether you come during lunch or dinner, and kids’ meals cost $19.99 to $24.99. Although Casa Bonita’s servers still receive a flat hourly wage, the checks include a tip line if guests want to give a little extra.
Stone and Parker admit that the food buffet line was part of Casa Bonita’s nostalgia, but it wasn’t necessarily good for the customer experience.
“It caused so many problems,” Parker said. “It was the reason people finally sat down and their food was cold. We also didn’t like seeing people experience Casa Bonita (while holding a giant tray of food).”
“It kept us from making food the best it could be,” Stone added.
That is also the reason that the ticketing system had to disappear. The duo consulted with experts who recommended treating the entrance to Casa Bonita like an amusement park or zoo, which sounded appropriate in theory but was always confusing to explain to the public, they said. Once Stone and Parker started to dig into Casa Bonita’s identity as a restaurant and shape the logistics to meet those familiar standards, things went more smoothly.
The wider opening was a long time coming, both for the owners and for the local fans. Stone and Parker — also the creative minds behind the hit TV show “South Park” — bought Casa Bonita out of bankruptcy in 2021 and spent a whopping $40 million to renovate it.
Coincidentally, they reopened the Pink Palace twenty years later featuring it in an episode of “South Park” and catapulting it to international fame. Stone and Parker also channeled some of their experiences in a recent episode in which Cartman reopens a hot dog stand not-so-subtly based on the sausage-and-bun-shaped Coney Island Boardwalk in Bailey.
Since last summer, the owners have been tinkering with everything from small elements like the timing of magic and puppet shows to big logistics like paying for and picking up food, adapting as more people come through the door. Stone said Casa Bonita currently serves 11,000 to 12,000 guests per week.
“We thought we needed a few weeks to figure that out – and we needed a solid year,” Parker explained.
Parker likened the experience to organizing a Broadway show, in that the owners couldn’t have predicted some of the challenges until they saw how all the components worked together in real time. Stone and Parker made their theater debut in 2011 with “The Book of Mormon,” but coordinating Casa Bonita was “much more difficult,” they said.
“It’s like putting on a Broadway show that’s also a restaurant,” Parker said.
“In some ways we were fixing something, so you say, ‘Okay, there’s a form and a template,’ but it was less of a template than we thought,” Stone added. “Theater is a worn-out art form and Casa Bonita, there is only one in the world.”
Still, the owners are overwhelmed by the response. The feedback has been mostly positive, Stone said. Much to his surprise, many adults have reserved tables and opted to leave their children at home, despite the core experience being family-friendly.
“There’s so much nostalgia in the neighborhood that a lot of the goodwill we’re feeling isn’t all our fault. It just restores something and a connection to the past,” Stone said.
Tips for getting a table
Even once reservations open to the general public, demand will likely be high. Casa Bonita has served 500,000 guests to date, Stone said. But with more than 900,000 addresses on Casa Bonita’s email newsletter list, many longtime fans likely haven’t been selected from the lottery yet. Anyone invited to purchase tickets via the email list can still make a reservation through September 30.
In addition, everyone who has signed up for the newsletter list is invited to join a “founders club” with special benefits such as preferential access to reservations and special events, a personalized membership card and discounts on purchases at the Casa Bonita Mercado, both online and in person. (Sopaipilla scented candles, anyone?)
Locals eager to reserve a table should consider going with a small group, Stone and Parker said — even as small as two people. This is because there are a limited number of large tables and they fill up quickly.
1 by 5
“You could never build Casa Bonita today as it is today. With fire codes and whatever, they would never let you build a building like that with that many nooks and crannies,” Parker said. “It also ensured that there are no large tables. I think we have two 10-tops in the entire restaurant. There are countless two- and four-tables that will be empty a lot, and it’s not a matter of let’s put these two tables together. No, because there’s a huge piece of rock here, you can’t do that.’
In fact, many small tables offer an excellent view of the cliff diving show, which Parker said was one of his favorite attractions to reinvent “from kitschy crappy to kitschy stylish.” That meant investing in sound and lighting near the 30-foot indoor waterfall, choreographing new routines and purchasing specific ’70s swimsuits to tie it all together.
“From moment one we had the idea that this is the new Casa Bonita. Everything has to be at that level,” Parker said of the new diving show. “It’s still crazy and fun and whatever, but it’s treated with respect and that’s where we had to take everything.”
Groups larger than 10 people and non-profit organizations looking to organize special events can inquire directly via a ‘group events’ form at casabonitadenver.com/tickets.
As Casa Bonita celebrates its 50th year, Stone and Parker hope to keep things running smoothly and add seasonal and holiday elements to the location. They emphasized the appreciation for fans’ patience while pledging to continuously develop certain aspects and offers to improve the customer experience.
“We don’t have any details on it, but we’re trying to spread the word and make this 50th year memorable, and maybe start some traditions that will continue,” Stone said.
Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news delivered straight to your inbox.
Originally published:
