COMIC RELIEF

Casa Bonita in Lakewood, CO.

I hate change.

I expect my favorite coffee joint to stay as it is forever; that one downtown hot dog vendor with the thick moustache and yellowed teeth to never abandon his hard-fought-for street corner; and the tiny tailor shop next to the convenience store to always be ready to mend tears and rips in my favorite outfits. And when confronted with change, my face sags, my eyes tear up, and my angst only rises.

But nothing in our lives will ever be safe from bankruptcy, abandonment, failure, or worse… death.

Consider the businesses that were once part of our normal geographic landscape and will never again see the light of day: Blockbuster, Tower Records, Borders, Toys “R” Us, Pier 1 Imports, KB Toys, Kmart, and even F. W. Woolworth’s.

Restaurants and many of our favorite fast-food joints have experienced a similar fate: places like Steak and Ale, Bennigan’s, Burger Chef, Official All Star Café, Chi-Chi’s, and many more. Even venerable establishments such as New York’s Carnegie Deli and Hollywood’s Brown Derby are fading figments of collective memory.

But there is one bright spot to all of this: the famous (or infamous, depending on who you talk with) Casa Bonita, a longtime family restaurant and tourist destination in Colorado, recently survived the wrecking ball and has been resurrected to thrive again.

First opened in 1974, Casa Bonita was the brainchild of former Colorado Springs resident and university art major Bill Waugh, who became inspired when he came across an abandoned department store named Joslin’s in a fading Lakewood strip mall—on the former grounds of the J.C.R.S. (Jewish Consumptive Relief Society)—only a short jaunt from downtown Denver.

Joslin’s and its three stories of emptiness screamed potential to him. Waugh could envision this space becoming something unique, something incredible, something unforgettable! And with Waugh’s talent in art and business acumen, he did the impossible.

He gutted the entire space to a naked three-story concrete shell and performed his magic. With just the basics of an overall plan, he reimagined everything to become a Mexican village complete with textured stucco walls, caves, raised walkways throughout, themed seating areas, and, of course, the trademark 30-foot rocky cliff, complete with divers leaping down a steep waterfall into a deep pool below.

Casa Bonita became an instant hit. Both locals and tourists flocked to experience the most original space—a whopping 52,000 square feet this side of Disneyland. It was a crazy escape from mundane life: taking the family to enjoy Mexican food amidst the music of roaming Mariachi bands; the thrill of watching leaping divers, Wild West shows, and a cheesy performer dressed in an oversized gorilla costume; exploring multiple floors of excitement including arcade games and the expected gift shop.

I, for one, have great memories of visiting Casa Bonita with my parents and relatives. All of us loved posing for pictures in front of the towering pink entrance, complete with ornate water fountains. We always commented on the kitschy environment and Technicolor dive-bar vibe, and even despite the often-unspectacular food, we always came back for more.

Two Colorado friends, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, also shared memories of Casa Bonita long before they made it big in comedy.

The two went on to graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder and became famous with their iconic cartoon satire, “South Park,” on Comedy Central in 1997, garnering five Primetime Emmys and millions of worldwide fans. But no matter how successful they had become, they never forget their roots and featured Casa Bonita for the first time in Episode 11 of Season 7 with many of their familiar characters such as Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick.

Meanwhile, Casa Bonita was experiencing a slow death: the establishment saw a steady decline in the number of daily guests, mounting conspiracy theories about the origin of the restaurant's food, injuries to cliff divers, and mounting debt. The final straw came amidst COVID-19 when the State of Colorado ordered all restaurants closed in the interest of public health.

Casa Bonita—the fun, family restaurant epitomizing the cliché, “build it and they will come”—extinguished its garish lights, quietly shut its doors, and filed for bankruptcy in 2021.

And that’s when we come to the good news. After learning of the closure, Trey and Matt wondered: could they save Casa Bonita instead of standing by and letting it become a distant memory? The two were talented comedy creators, not restaurateurs. Did they have the time in their busy schedules to devote to this immense project? Did this make business sense?

They decided to do the right thing; they would figure out how to resurrect Casa Bonita and bring it back better than ever.

After purchasing the property, the two called in the experts. And after an infusion of over $40 million and countless hours of construction, modernization, and hiring a professional chef and culinary team to improve the food and menu offerings, the establishment re-opened to the general public on October 1, 2024, serving as a destination once more for laughing children, smiling tourists, fanatical “South Park” fans, and many, many others. Most importantly, new memories are being forged to the tune of over 2,000 happy guests per day.

Again, serious props go out to Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the incredible thing they did… fighting against change and bringing back something very special from the proverbial ash heap of history. Thriving once again, I shamelessly encourage all Colorado visitors to make the pilgrimage to Casa Bonita – it’s a visit that will never disappoint and always amaze.

And while you’re at it, Trey and Matt, something else you might want to think about…I really miss going to Radio Shack every Saturday morning with my dad.