LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Casa Bonita performers will hit the picket line for Halloween after restaurant management reportedly walked away from contract negotiations.
The Actors' Equity Association, which represents the cliff divers, roving actors, and other unionized performers, announced the strike on Wednesday.
Members of the Casa Bonita cast voted to unionize in November 2024 and agreed to the union negotiation and security agreement in August 2025. The union said it began contract negotiations with Casa Bonita management this April.
The union filed an unfair labor practices charge against Casa Bonita in September after performers’ hours were cut to accommodate a Halloween pop-up event, according to our partners at The Denver Post. The Actors' Equity Association said the restaurant has "added insult to injury by doubling down on an unfair wage proposal and refusing to respond to demands around performer safety."
Actors previously told our partners at The Denver Post that there have been numerous incidents involving guests that had staff concerned for their safety.
Restaurant management walked away from the negotiation table on Wednesday, according to the union, leading to the strike.
"Casa management came to the table today offering an additional 11 cents over their last unfair wage offer, and very little for future layoff protections," said lead negotiator Andrea Hoeschen, assistant executive director and general counsel for Actors' Equity Association, in a statement. "Despite that insult, the negotiating team responded with major compromises to try to get a deal. And then Casa Bonita walked away from the table without responding.
"We know they can pay the wages we're asking for because they already pay basically the same wages to the servers and bartenders. Their insistence on paying DOLLARS an hour less to the performers reflects a choice and a philosophy to devalue performers."
Denver7 reached out to Casa Bonita for comment. In a statement, a restaurant spokesperson said, "At Casa Bonita, we value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.”
Unionized performers will hit the picket line outside the Lakewood restaurant beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday. Casa Bonita United is asking supporters to join them between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Casa Bonita is a cultural icon in Colorado thanks to the show "South Park." The restaurant closed down food service in 2020 after its owner at that time, Summit Family Restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The pink palace was then purchased by "South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker in September 2021.
The restaurant partially reopened to the public in the summer of 2023, then fully opened its reservations in September 2024.
The Actors' Equity Association represents more than 51,000 performers and stage managers across the country.
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