Three years after “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone spent tens of millions to renovate and reopen it, the famous Colorado restaurant Casa Bonita has been charged with unfair labor practices by the National Labor Relations Board. A trial in Denver has been set for Dec. 7.
The charge comes nearly two years after performers at Casa Bonita, who include magicians and cliff divers among others, voted unanimously to join the live performers’ union Actors Equity. The NLRB accuses Casa Bonita of refusing to bargain in good faith with Actors Equity, as well as alleging the venue cut more than 1,000 hours from performers while contract talks were still ongoing.
“This complaint vindicates what the workers have been saying throughout 18 months of bargaining: Casa Bonita would rather play games with their livelihoods than seriously bargain for a fair contract,” said Andrea Hoeschen, general counsel for Actors’ Equity Association. “The NLRB’s complaint should be a wakeup call for the employer, but whether or not they choose to do the right thing, we’re in this for the long haul. We’ll see them back at the bargaining table soon – and then we’ll see them in court.”
Known for its lavish, Mexican themed interiors and live shows, Casa Bonita built a cult following among Coloradans since its opening in 1974. That notoriety expanded nationwide in 2003, when Parker and Stone devoted a famous episode of “South Park” around it, which involved Cartman hatching a wild scheme to get into Kyle’s birthday party at Casa Bonita after being refused an invite due to his antisemitic jokes.
In 2021, Casa Bonita closed its doors, citing business challenges brought about by the COVID pandemic. The restaurant found a second life after Parker and Stone vowed to renovate and reopen it. The $40 million-plus reopening campaign was chronicled in the MTV doc “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!,” which premiered at Telluride Festival in 2024.
But almost as soon as Casa Bonita reopened its doors, complaints from performers and staff reached the press. Axios reported that employees were pressured to sign new contracts offering $30/hour salaries, but excluding any tips from their wages. Continued issues with pay and work conditions on the performer side led to a unionization drive with Actors Equity and IATSE.
In August 2025, Actors Equity president Brooke Shields posted a video on social media addressed to Parker and Stone, urging them to tell Casa Bonita management to bargain in good faith with the union.
“Without the performers who bring Casa Bonita to life, it’s just a big, pink restaurant. It’s time to do the right thing. Please agree to a fair contract, and please enable these performers to focus on providing the world-class experience that Casa Bonita’s guests expect and deserve and help them get it,” she said.
TheWrap has reached out to reps for Parker and Stone for comment.
