Molly Martin
Audio By Carbonatix
Some people have been making a stink about Casa Bonita – the challenge of getting a reservation, a new unionization effort, an odd odor – but in general, the landmark bought out of bankruptcy and revived by South Park‘s Matt Stone and Trey Parker comes out smelling like a rose.
Even a potentially problematic situation on Friday, November 15, was quickly resolved. Toward the end of the evening, a rank odor began wafting through the restaurant. It was “something at the city level,” says a spokesperson for the pink eatertainment palace, who notes that since the last reservations were for 8:30 p.m. and the early closure wasn’t announced until 10:15 p.m., diners lost relatively little time.
Some wasted no time posting about the smelly situation on social media, though the place was back to business as usual on Saturday. “Not to make fun of a serious situation, but this sounds like a South Park episode,” said one. In comments about Casa Bonita posted on the Westword Facebook page, readers offer other opinions about the pink palace, especially a push for unions…and our coverage. Says Randal:
You make the biggest debacle over Casa Bonita. You’ve written more articles about restaurants closing than opening… How are you attracting visitors to our state and stimulating our local economy? Leave them alone! Let them be successful!
Responds Fred:
I am tired of you fawning over Casa Bonita and forgiving everything they do. Denver deserves better. Time to raise a stink over Casa Bonita!
Notes Jacob:
This was a restaurant that went out of business and was only revived to be run as a hobby by Matt and Trey. If the staff make it a headache, they’ll padlock the doors and shut it down.
Adds Maxwell:
Unions destroy everything they touch. Matt and Trey should fire the entire staff and start over. These entitled little pricks are not entitled to form a union in a private business.
Counters Sophie:
Labor is entitled to the wealth it creates! Power to the union!
Responds Brian:
I’m sure that the owners are relieved at the thought that if the business should fail for any reason, the union employees will now each absorb a share of the financial liability?
Right.
Those employees wouldn’t have the jobs they do now if the owners hadn’t made and risked a significant financial investment to bring an iconic restaurant back to life.
Replies Juan:
Unions are great, makes employers treat their employees like people instead of a number.
Says Paul:
This is wild. I’ve never seen employees push back somewhere as much as they do at Casa Bonita. They also must not know that restaurants will fire you and replace you the same day; must be new to the industry.
Suggests James:
I’m more interested in what the new owners have done with the place than any of the old attractions. I wonder what they are gonna do if they actually unionize and Casa Bonita just decides to end that attraction.
Responds Eric:
So much for an upscale, reservation-only, overly hyped Casa Bonita. Here you go! Next time try keeping it real.
Offers Jennifer:
Go woke = go broke!
Wonders Josh:
Did anyone ask Eric Cartman about this?
Have you been to the revived Casa Bonita? How did you get your reservation? What did you think? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.
