Colorado restaurant owned by 'South Park' creators opens reservations once again, changes menu
After a pricey renovation, Casa Bonita reopened in May 2023 and tweaked its menu, too
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Casa Bonita, the Lakewood, Colorado, restaurant saved from closure by the creators of the TV show "South Park," recently reopened its reservation system after thousands of people booked the establishment during its first months of operation.
Reservations for the month of December were opened on Monday.
By Thursday, there was no availability listed on the website.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The restaurant also tweaked its menu — removing some items and adding dips for its complementary chips, multiple Denver-area news sites reported.
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The resurgence of Casa Bonita can be credited to "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Casa Bonita was named a landmark of Lakewood in 2015. But by 2020, the restaurant's days appeared to be numbered, in part because of the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant closed in March 2020 and its owner filed for bankruptcy the following year.
Reserving a table at Casa Bonita (center) has been a challenge ever since its reopening in May 2023. At left, Kenny of "South Park," and at right, sopaipillas, which are served at every meal at the restaurant. (Hulton Archive; Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Parker and Stone, who featured the restaurant in the 2003 South Park episode "Casa Bonita," purchased it in 2021, according to the restaurant's website.
In the episode, character Kyle Broroflovski refers to Casa Bonita this way: "Like the Disneyland of Mexican restaurants."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Parker and Stone have many memories of going to Casa Bonita as children and the restaurant means a great deal to them," the Casa Bonita website noted.
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The restaurant underwent extensive renovations totaling $40 million. The 2024 documentary "¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!" chronicles the pair's efforts to rebuild the restaurant.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Casa Bonita soft-opened in May 2023. Only members of the Founders Club, which calls itself the "most prestigious club in the world, composed exclusively of Casa Bonita's earliest supporters," were able to book until last month.
Trey Parker, left, and Matt Stone attend the "¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!" premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at Spring Studios in New York City on June 7. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
At the time, thousands of people waited in an online queue to receive a reservation, reported the website Denverite, and reservations for October and November were booked within minutes.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Colorado's Casa Bonita is the sole remaining location.
The chain opened its first Casa Bonita location in 1968 in Oklahoma City, the restaurant's website said. Other locations were built in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Little Rock, Arkansas.
"Architects and carpenters constructed one delightful experience after another as they went along."
"With minimal plans and no permits, architects and carpenters constructed one delightful experience after another as they went along. Construction began in 1972 and the restaurant opened on March 27, 1974," the Casa Bonita website said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Casa Bonita features entertainment not typically found in a dining establishment, such as cliff divers, a puppet show, Mariachi music and "so much more," according to its website.
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Unlike traditional restaurants, Casa Bonita charges a set price for lunch and dinner, although there is an option to pay slightly more for "premium dining" near the cliff divers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sopaipillas are served with every meal at Casa Bonita. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Anyone ages "13-200" can choose between nine entrées, all of which are served with rice, beans and cabbage salad.
Chips, salsa, sodas and "our famous sopaipillas" are also included with every meal, the restaurant says, although alcoholic beverages and other desserts are sold à la carte.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Casa Bonita's famed sopaipillas were created with a recipe specifically designed for the altitude of Colorado," its website said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Casa Bonita for comment.