🌮🏊‍♂️🔙 Da Refries Dat Bind: One Cavernous Cantina Comes Back, Cliff Divers an’ All

Wit “infinity dollars” poured in by da creators of “South Park,” one legendary Colorado restaurant stay reopen wit da same 1970s vibe an’ way bettah food. 🌮💰🍔

Colorado get plenty awesome tings like da mountains, beautiful colors, skiing, an’ one obsession wit exercise an’ eating healthy. But fo’ generations of Colorado keiki, da most common shared experience stay Casa Bonita, one huge, dirty, dimly lit restaurant undaneat wit food dat many people say hardly edible. 🌄🍽️🤢

Casa Bonita, spread ova 52,000 square feet in Lakewood, one suburb of Denver, stay serving up steamed refried beans, tacos, an’ enchiladas buffet-style to tousands of peopos every day. An’ da kine entertainment you get stay like one dream for kids: waterfalls, cliff divers, Black Bart’s Cave, fake gold an’ silver mines, puppet shows, an’ one person in one gorilla costume get chased by one sheriff who sometimes jump off cliffs too. Dis unique childhood experience stay chronicled in one episode of “South Park.” 🌊🍽️🎉

Aftah dat episode wen come out, Trey Parker an’ Matt Stone, da creators of da show, stay always get asked if dis place stay real. “Oh, dat stay one real place,” Mr. Parker wen say. “It’s crazy. It’s weird.” Like so many keiki in Colorado, Mr. Parker wen celebrate his birthday dea. 🥳🎂🌮

But den, in 2020, Casa Bonita wen go bankrupt cuz da pandemic wen hit. Da place stay all broken down already, wit no maintenance, plenny electrical problems, grease-covered ventilation systems, an’ da carpet solid like concrete. People even wen give um one nickname, Casa NoEata, cuz da food stay no good. But still, peopos wen feel sad wen Casa Bonita had to close down. 🏚️😢🍔

But now, in da next few weeks, dis huge casa goin’ come back wit new owners: Mr. Parker an’ Mr. Stone, both from Colorado, who wen spend more den $40 million fo’ tear um down, rebuild um, an’ dey joking say keep everyting da same, but make um sanitary now. 🏰💵🌯

“Now, no mo’ stink like chlorine,” Mr. Stone wen say in one interview in late May, durin’ da final rush fo’ reopen. “We coulda built dis twice as big, fo’ half da money, but we wen spend so much fo’ restore um, like one piece of art.” 🧼🔧🎨

Mr. Parker wen add, “An’ da food stay excellent.” 🍽️👌

Fo’ real, Casa Bonita goin’ come back as one of da biggest Mexican restaurants in da world, an’ da new executive chef, Dana Rodriguez, stay one six-time James Beard Award nominee. All da local fans of Casa Bonita stay talkin’ ’bout da reopenin’ like if da beloved “Orange Crush” Denver Broncos from 1977 wen come back from da freezer. More den 100,000 people wen sign up on da restaurant’s website fo’ make one reservation, Mr. Stone wen say. 🌮🏈🌍

“Dis stay one special ting only in Colorado,” Rick Johnson wen say last Friday night when dey wen invite ’bout 400 people fo’ one test run, wit Mr. Stone an’ Mr. Parker dea too. Mr. Johnson, 44 years old, wen go Casa Bonita wen he was one kid, an’ now he wen bring his own boys. “Dey get some places dat make you feel like you go back in time — dat bring back da memories,” he wen say. 🏰🌌🤩

His son Isaac, 10 years old, wen notice how excited his dad was. “I nevah see him dis happy before,” he wen say. 😄👨‍👦💫

Isaac wen jus’ join one big group of oddah keiki watching one puppet show, where one friendly taco puppet introduce one serious burrito puppet dat wen sing one Italian opera. Da puppet stage stay right next to Black Bart’s Cave, one windy maze where dey get two skeletons. Right next to dat, dey get da mercado sellin’ Casa Bonita T-shirts, mugs, an’ oddah little tings. Every 20 minutes, da divers jump off da fake cliffs into one blue pool. 🌮🏊‍♂️🎪

“Dis stay heaven on Earth,” Isaac wen say. 😇🌍

Mr. Stone, wit one smile, enjoy da mariachi band near da bar. At first, dey thought renovations goin’ cost ’bout $10 million. Den it went up to $20 million. Some business advisers wen tell Mr. Stone an’ Mr. Parker fo’ give up. But nowadays, Mr. Stone say, dey spent “infinity dollars.” 🎺💰🤑

As Mr. Parker wen put um, “Way cheaper if we jus’ go hang glide ova volcanoes.” 🌋🪂

Da Danger Room Casa Bonita stay inside one building, colored pink like one flamingo’s neck, standin’ tall ova one shopping center. Otha stores dea stay one Dollar Store, one Ross Dress for Less, one H&R Block, an’ one laundromat. Da restaurant wen first open to da public in 1974, at da same place, like one remake of one oddah Casa Bonita dat opened in Oklahoma City few years before. 🏢💃🌮

Findin’ da right shade of pink was one of da easier challenges fo’ da renovation, but still took plenny time. “We try ’em 27 times,” Scott Shoemaker wen say, da guy who stay in charge of da renovations. Findin’ da right shade of gold fo’ da lettering took nine times. Some tings, like da fake trees an’ 62 fake palm trees inside da restaurant, jus’ needed one little touch up: take off da fake leaves, clean um, repaint da trees, put da leaves back. 🎨🌴🌿

“Not too much construction projects where you gotta put leaves back on da palms,” Mr. Shoemaker wen say. “Dat’s gonna be da name of my new band.” 🎸🌴🍃

Some oddah tings, like da old cliff-diving pool, stay real physical hazards. Divers, aftah dey jump in da pool, had fo’ come out through one 30-inch-wide tunnel undaneat wit plenty pipes, Mr. Shoemaker wen say. Den dey wen come out da water inside one electrical room. 😱🏊‍♂️🔌

“We get 200 amps of powah right next to us,” Mr. Shoemaker wen say. “When I saw dat, I wen call Matt an’ tell him, ‘Dis stay da most dangerous room I evah seen.'” (No reports of injuries so far.) Da new pool, 14 feet deep, look kinda like da old one but now da divers get one bigger exit an’ oddah changes. 🏊‍♂️🏞️💡

Oddah changes goin’ be more obvious to da customers. Dey get four new bars. One new indoor plaza, supposed to look like one street in Oaxaca, make it faster fo’ people fo’ get dea tickets an’ sit down fo’ eat. Some attractions, like Black Bart’s Cave, get some new touches fo’ make sense. 🍹🎟️🌮

Da original Black Bart was “like one weird pirate crossed wit’ one bank robber,” said Chris Brion, da creative director fo’ “South Park” an’ Casa Bonita, who go by da nickname Crispy. “He was dis mix of 16 different funny bad guys.” Da new Black Bart, he say, was based on “one real guy who used to rob stagecoaches.” 🏴‍☠️💰🤠

But part of da charm of Casa Bonita stay all da different tings dey get, so dey wen leave plenny of da weirdness da same. “We talk story an’ tink ’bout um: We know how fo’ fix ’em up, tell da story straight,” Mr. Parker wen say. “But we decided, no need fix ’em. We goin’ keep da spirit of exploration.” 🕵️‍♂️🗺️💫

“It’s all ’bout discovery,” he wen say. “Small kids like fo’ ask, ‘Eh, what stay inside dat hole?’ Dey get plenny of dat.” 👦🔍🕳️

Mole by Loca Da original Casa Bonita had one mix of fun an’ mystery, but da food was kinda huh. “Gotta be one special place in hell fo’ people who serve food like dat,” Victoria Gagnon wen say, she 57 years old, an’ she an’ her family wen get food poisoning aftah dey go Casa Bonita in 2013. 😬🌯🔥

But still, she stay excited fo’ go back to her favorite place from when she was small. Back in da day, when her dad, one construction worker, get his paycheck, da whole family would vote on where dey goin’ eat. “No doubt, Casa Bonita,” Ms. Gagnon wen say. “I know it sound cheesy.” 🌮👪😋

Da Casa Bonita team still working on da prices, cuz dey nevah have much experience runnin’ one restaurant. “Da last few months, we realized we get plenny work fo’ do fo’ make dis place stay in business,” Mr. Parker wen say. 📉💼💪

Not fo’get da weight of tradition an’ nostalgia, an’ dey own high expectations. 🤔🕰️🏰

“Dis place stay so special,” Mr. Parker wen say. “I hope dat’s why peopos tink it’s so cool.” 😎🌯

Mr. Stone wen say, “Worth infinity dollars.” 💵🔥

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🌮🏊‍♂️🔙 The Refries That Bind: A Cavernous Cantina Returns, Cliff Divers and All

With “infinity dollars” poured in by the creators of “South Park,” a legendary Colorado restaurant is reopening with the same 1970s vibe and significantly improved food. 🌮💰🍔

Colorado boasts numerous attractions such as majestic mountains, vibrant seasonal colors, world-class skiing, and a prevailing obsession with fitness and healthy eating. However, for generations of Colorado kids, one experience stands out above the rest: Casa Bonita, a sprawling underground restaurant in Lakewood, a Denver suburb. Many diners considered the food barely edible in this massive, grungy, dimly lit establishment spanning over 52,000 square feet. 🌄🍽️🤢

Casa Bonita served steamed refried beans, tacos, and enchiladas buffet-style to thousands of people daily. But what truly captivated the children’s imaginations were the spectacular entertainment offerings: waterfalls, cliff divers, Black Bart’s Cave, faux gold and silver mines, puppet shows, and even a person dressed in a gorilla costume chased by a sheriff who occasionally joined in the cliff diving. This unique childhood experience was even immortalized in an episode of “South Park.” 🌊🍽️🎉

Following the episode’s airing, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the show, frequently faced inquiries about the existence of Casa Bonita. “Oh, it’s a real place,” Mr. Parker confirmed. “It’s crazy. It’s weird.” Like countless Colorado kids, Mr. Parker celebrated his birthdays at Casa Bonita. 🥳🎂🌮

However, in 2020, Casa Bonita declared bankruptcy due to the pandemic’s impact. The restaurant was already in a state of disrepair, suffering from neglect, electrical hazards, greasy ventilation systems, and carpets encrusted like concrete. The restaurant’s reputation for lackluster food had earned it the nickname Casa NoEata. Despite its shortcomings, its closure was mourned by many. 🏚️😢🍔

But in the coming weeks, this enormous establishment will reopen under new ownership: Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone themselves, both native Coloradans. They have invested over $40 million to demolish and rebuild Casa Bonita, jokingly promising to maintain everything exactly as it was, except now with proper sanitation. 🏰💵🌯

“It no longer smells like chlorine,” Mr. Stone remarked in a late May interview during the frantic final stretch before reopening. “We could have built it twice as big for half the cost, but we invested so much in restoring it, treating it like a work of art.” 🧼🔧🎨

Mr. Parker chimed in, “And the food is excellent.” 🍽️👌

Indeed, Casa Bonita will return as one of the largest Mexican restaurants in the world, helmed by its new executive chef, Dana Rodriguez, a six-time James Beard Award nominee. Local fans of Casa Bonita are ecstatic about the reopening, likening it to the revival of the beloved “Orange Crush” Denver Broncos from 1977. Over 100,000 potential customers have already signed up on the restaurant’s website to make reservations, according to Mr. Stone. 🌮🏈🌍

“It’s a unique Colorado gem,” remarked Rick Johnson, who attended the test run last Friday night along with approximately 400 other guests, including Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker. Mr. Johnson, now 44 years old, visited Casa Bonita as a child and now brought his own sons. “There are certain places that take you back and evoke a sense of nostalgia,” he said. 🏰🌌🤩

His 10-year-old son, Isaac, marveled at his father’s enthusiasm. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this excited,” he said. 😄👨‍👦💫

Isaac joined a group of children watching a puppet show, where a friendly taco puppet introduced a somber burrito puppet singing an Italian aria. The puppet stage was nestled next to Black Bart’s Cave, a windy maze guarded by two skeletons. Nearby, the mercado offered Casa Bonita T-shirts, mugs, and various trinkets. Every 20 minutes, divers leapt from faux cliffs into a blue pool. 🌮🏊‍♂️🎪

“This is heaven on Earth,” Isaac exclaimed. 😇🌍

Mr. Stone, with a smile, enjoyed the lively mariachi band near the bar. Initially projected to cost around $10 million, the renovation expenses soon escalated to $20 million. Business advisors suggested abandoning the project. However, as Mr. Stone noted, the investment has reached “infinity dollars.” 🎺💰🤑

As Mr. Parker summed it up, “It would be much cheaper if we just went hang gliding over volcanoes.” 🌋🪂

The Danger Room Casa Bonita occupies a distinctive pink building that stands tall like a flamingo’s neck amidst an outdoor shopping complex. Other tenants include a Dollar Store, Ross Dress for Less, H&R Block, and a coin-operated laundry. The restaurant first opened to the public in 1974 at its current location, modeled after another Casa Bonita that had opened a few years earlier in Oklahoma City. 🏢💃🌮

Selecting the perfect shade of pink presented one of the more manageable challenges during the renovation, though it still required considerable effort. “We tried 27 different shades,” recalled Scott Shoemaker, overseeing the renovations. Achieving the ideal gold hue for the lettering took nine attempts. Some features, such as the artificial deciduous trees and 62 palm trees inside the restaurant, simply required touch-ups: removing fake leaves, cleaning, repainting, and reattaching the leaves. 🎨🌴🌿

“There aren’t many construction projects where you have to re-frond the palms,” quipped Mr. Shoemaker. “That’s the name of my new band.” 🎸🌴🍃

Other elements, such as the old cliff-diving pool, presented actual physical hazards. It turned out that after divers jumped into the pool, their only exit was through a narrow 30-inch-wide underwater tunnel filled with pipes. They then emerged from the water into an electrical room. 😱🏊‍♂️🔌

“We had 200 amps of power right next to us,” Mr. Shoemaker explained. “When I saw it, I called Matt and told him, ‘This is the most dangerous room I’ve ever seen.'” (No injuries have been reported so far.) The new 14-foot-deep pool retains the essence of the old one but offers divers a wider exit and other safety improvements. 🏊‍♂️🏞️💡

Other changes will be more apparent to customers. The restaurant now features four new bars. An indoor ticketing plaza has been constructed, resembling a street in Oaxaca, to minimize waiting times before dining. Some attractions, including Black Bart’s Cave, have received narrative enhancements to create a more cohesive experience. 🍹🎟️🌮

The original Black Bart character was a peculiar amalgamation of a pirate and a bank robber, according to Chris Brion, the creative director of both “South Park” and Casa Bonita, who goes by the nickname Crispy. “He combined elements of 16 different comical villains.” The new Black Bart, however, draws inspiration from the actual outlaws who robbed stagecoaches. 🏴‍☠️💰🤠

Yet, part of Casa Bonita’s charm lies in its eclectic assortment of attractions, and much of the original quirkiness has been preserved. “We discussed it extensively: we know how to clean it up and streamline the narrative,” Mr. Parker remarked. “But we decided against it and embraced the spirit of exploration.” 🕵️‍♂️🗺️💫

“It’s all about discovery,” he added. “Kids love to ask, ‘What’s in that hole?’ There’s plenty of that here.” 👦🔍🕳️

Mole by Loca The whimsical allure of the original Casa Bonita was matched by culinary perplexity: why was the food mediocre at best? “There must be a special place in hell for people who serve food like that,” remarked Victoria Gagnon, a 57-year-old who claimed she and her family suffered from food poisoning after visiting Casa Bonita in 2013. 😬🌯🔥

Nevertheless, she eagerly anticipates returning to her beloved childhood destination. Years ago, when her father, a construction worker, received his paycheck, the family would vote on where to dine. “Hands down, Casa Bonita,” Ms. Gagnon asserted. “I know it sounds cheesy.” 🌮👪😋

The Casa Bonita team is still finalizing pricing, as they lack experience in running a restaurant. “Over the past few months, we’ve realized the tremendous amount of work required to make it a sustainable business,” Mr. Parker acknowledged. 📉💼💪

Balancing tradition, nostalgia, and their own lofty expectations adds an additional weight to their shoulders. 🤔🕰️🏰

“It’s such a visceral place,” Mr. Parker reflected. “That’s what I hope makes it so cool.” 🌯😎

Mr. Stone concurred, stating, “That’s worth infinity dollars.” 💵🔥