South Park Creators: Colorado’s Casa Bonita Was in Bad Shape

Denver, Colorado's Casa Bonita has been a staple since the 1970s, but the COVID-19 pandemic almost marked the end of the iconic restaurant. However, South Park creators and Colorado natives Trey Parker and Matt Stone famously stepped in and saved it.

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While it's widely known that a number of renovations took place after the South Park creators purchased it, according to Parker and Stone, Casa Bonita was in really bad shape before they stepped in.

Colorado's Casa Bonita in the 1980s

Parker and Stone were interviewed at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival where they recounted making trips to Casa Bonita for birthday parties in the 1980s. They would later discover that, at this time, the restaurant went from being a rather fancy place to a bit of a dump after exchanging hands, a reputation held by the restaurant for decades thereafter.

Colorado's Casa Bonita + Diver Danger

One of the biggest draws to Casa Bonita are the cliff diving shows and according to the South Park creators, prior to renovating the restaurant, the divers had to swim through a three-foot diameter hole that led to the kitchen's electrical room.

Parker had this to say about previous diver safety:

It’s amazing nobody died. It’s also possible that people have.

Colorado's Casa Bonita + the Kitchen Floor

The pair went on to discuss how the kitchen's floor was damaged numerous times over the years and instead of it being replaced, new pipes were installed and multiple new floors were put into place atop the old, damaged ones.

Colorado's Casa Bonita + the Leaky Roof

Casa Bonita also allegedly needed serious work done to its roof and Parker and Stone spoke about a bucket they discovered that gathered rain water and was routinely emptied.

Colorado's Casa Bonita + Construction Crew Concerns

The South Park creators also commented that while renovating the building, construction crews gave code words to each other numerous times that essentially equated to, "you shouldn't go into this place" and "get out of here."

Other Problems with Colorado's Old Casa Bonita

Parker and Stone also noted that the entire restaurant needed new carpet and air conditioning units, and that a large, wooden pole was found to be rotting away.

Read More: Colorado’s Casa Bonita + 20 New Things You Don’t Remember

Check out the entire interview from the 2024 Telluride Film Festival below: