It’s time to apply your finest Eric Cartman impression since you’ll be capable of guide a reservation quickly at Casa Bonita — no lottery luck wanted.
The famed Lakewood restaurant formally opens to most of the people on Oct. 1, homeowners Matt Stone and Trey Parker advised JHB in an unique interview. That’s the primary day reservations can be obtainable to anybody craving meals, enjoyable and a festive environment. Bookings open on Sept. 16 at casabonitadenver.com.
Since Casa Bonita made its post-pandemic debut in June 2023, it’s been probably the most unique eating institutions in Colorado. Up till now, the one method to get a desk has been to enter a lottery and hope to obtain an invite to buy tickets, which purchase entry, a meal and entry to all of the points of interest like Black Bart’s Cave and the waterfall with its well-known cliff divers.
Stone and Parker mentioned they didn’t intend for entry to be restricted for therefore lengthy, but it surely was essential to work out the operational kinks of such a singular venue. They’ve made some large adjustments over the year-plus of sentimental opening part, too.
Beginning Oct. 1, Casa Bonita will now not require visitors to purchase a pre-paid ticket. As an alternative, they’ll be capable of make reservations like they do at another restaurant. Stone and Parker additionally not too long ago determined to nix the buffet line, so patrons can be sat and served meals in a extra conventional eating format. On the finish of the meal, visitors will obtain their verify and pay.
Pricing, nevertheless, gained’t change. Grownup entrees value $29.99 to $39.99 relying on in case you go to throughout lunch or dinner, and youngsters’ meals run $19.99 to $24.99. Whereas Casa Bonita servers nonetheless obtain a flat hourly wage, checks will embrace a tip line ought to visitors wish to throw in somewhat additional.
Stone and Parker admit the meals buffet line was a part of the nostalgia of Casa Bonita, but it surely wasn’t essentially good for the shopper expertise.
“It was inflicting so many issues,” Parker mentioned. “It was the rationale folks ended up sitting down and their meals was chilly. Additionally we didn’t love watching folks expertise Casa Bonita (whereas) they’ve acquired an enormous tray of meals of their fingers.”
“It was maintaining us from making meals nearly as good as attainable,” Stone added.
That’s additionally why the ticketing system needed to go. The duo consulted with consultants who suggested treating entry to Casa Bonita like an amusement park or zoo, which sounded becoming in concept however was all the time complicated to clarify to the general public, they mentioned. As soon as Stone and Parker started leaning into Casa Bonita’s identification as a restaurant and shaping logistics to suit these acquainted requirements, issues ran extra easily.
The broader opening has been a very long time coming for each the homeowners and native followers. Stone and Parker — additionally the inventive minds behind standard TV present “South Park” — purchased Casa Bonita out of chapter in 2021 and spent a cool $40 million to refurbish it.
Coincidentally, they reopened the Pink Palace twenty years after that includes it on an episode of “South Park” and catapulting it to worldwide acclaim. Stone and Parker additionally channeled a few of their experiences right into a current episode by which Cartman reopens a sizzling canine stand, primarily based not-so-subtly on the sausage-and-bun-shaped Coney Island Boardwalk in Bailey.
Since final summer time, the homeowners tinkered with all the pieces from small parts just like the timing of magic and puppet exhibits to giant logistics like paying for and selecting up meals, adjusting as extra folks got here by the doorways. Stone mentioned Casa Bonita at present serves 11,000 to 12,000 diners per week.
“We thought we wanted a pair weeks to determine that out — and we wanted a strong 12 months,” Parker defined.
Parker likened the expertise to staging a Broadway present in that the homeowners couldn’t have predicted sure challenges till they noticed how all of the elements labored collectively in actual time. Stone and Parker made their theater debut in 2011 with “The Guide of Mormon,” however coordinating Casa Bonita was “far more troublesome,” they mentioned.
“It’s like placing on a Broadway present that’s additionally a restaurant,” Parker mentioned.
“In some methods, it was we’re restoring one thing, so that you go, ‘OK there’s a type and a template,’ but it surely was much less of a template than we thought,” Stone added. “Theater is a well-worn artwork type and Casa Bonita, there’s just one on the planet like that.”
Nonetheless, the homeowners have been overwhelmed by the response. Suggestions has been predominantly optimistic, Stone mentioned. A lot to his shock, many adults have booked tables and opted to go away their children at dwelling regardless of the core expertise being family-friendly.
“There’s a lot nostalgia across the place that numerous that goodwill we’re feeling isn’t all our doing. It’s simply restoring one thing and a connection to the previous,” Stone mentioned.
Suggestions for getting a desk
Even as soon as reservations open to most of the people, demand is more likely to be excessive. Casa Bonita has to date served 500,000 visitors, Stone mentioned. However with greater than 900,000 addresses on Casa Bonita’s e-mail publication listing, many longtime followers have doubtless not but been chosen from the lottery. Anybody who has been invited to buy tickets through the e-mail listing can nonetheless guide a reservation by Sept. 30.
Moreover, anybody who signed up for the publication listing can be invited to hitch a “founders membership” with particular perks like most popular entry to reservations and particular occasions, a personalised membership card, and reductions on purchases from the Casa Bonita Mercado, each on-line and in-person. (Sopaipilla-scented candles, anybody?)
Locals wanting to guide a desk ought to contemplate going with a small group, Stone and Parker mentioned – whilst small as two folks. That’s as a result of there are a restricted variety of giant tables they usually refill rapidly.
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“You might by no means construct Casa Bonita at the moment the best way it’s. With hearth codes and no matter, they might by no means allow you to construct it like that with so many nooks and crannies,” Parker mentioned. “It additionally made it so there aren’t any giant tables. I feel now we have two 10-tops in your entire restaurant. There’s tons of two-tops and four-tops that can be empty quite a bit, and it’s not a matter of let’s put these two tables collectively. No, as a result of there’s an enormous piece of rock proper right here you’ll be able to’t.”
Even higher, many small tables present prime viewing to the cliff diving present, which Parker mentioned was amongst his favourite points of interest to reinvent “from kitschy crappy to kitschy elegant.” That concerned investing in sound and lighting close to the 30-foot indoor waterfall, choreographing new routines, and sourcing the particular Seventies-era swimsuits to tie all the pieces collectively.
“From second one, we have been like that’s the brand new Casa Bonita. Every little thing wants to return as much as that stage,” Parker mentioned of the brand new dive present. “It’s nonetheless foolish and enjoyable and no matter, but it surely’s handled with respect and that’s what we needed to deliver all the pieces as much as.”
As Casa Bonita marks its fiftieth 12 months, Stone and Parker hope to maintain issues operating easily and add seasonal and vacation parts to the venue. They emphasised appreciation for followers’ endurance whereas promising to repeatedly evolve sure points and choices to reinforce the shopper expertise.
“We don’t have any particulars about it, however we’re making an attempt to unfold it out and make this fiftieth 12 months form of memorable, perhaps begin some traditions that proceed,” Stone mentioned.
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