Updated at 8:43 p.m. on Oct. 29 to include a statement from Casa Bonita management.
There will be no cliff divers entertaining guests at Casa Bonita on Halloween as the restaurant’s cast of performers initiates a three-day strike.
On Wednesday, the Actors’ Equity Association announced that Casa Bonita’s divers, magicians, roving actors and other unionized performers would picket outside the pink palace, at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood, following unsuccessful efforts to bargain their first contract. The strike is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.
Casa Bonita workers voted to unionize in November 2024 as they sought better pay and to establish workplace protections. The restaurant and entertainment venue is a beloved historic landmark and in 2023, reopened under the ownership of locally raised celebrities Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The creators of the “South Park” TV show reportedly spent $40 million reviving the restaurant after purchasing it out of bankruptcy.
Casa Bonita serves thousands of diners each week and actors previously told The Denver Post there have been numerous incidents involving guests that had staff concerned for their safety.
The bargaining unit of 57 people has been engaged in negotiations since April, according to the Actors’ Equity Association, and last month, it filed an unfair labor practices charge after performers’ hours were cut to accommodate a Halloween pop-up event.
Now, the union says management failed to deliver responses to key proposals that would move toward a contract. In a statement, Casa Bonita management said, “We value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations.”
“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.”
Casa Bonita addressed the dispute in an email to people with reservations, confirming the restaurant would remain open and offering a free drink or arcade credit to guests.
CORRECTION at 6:57 p.m. on Oct. 29: An earlier version of this story misstated the dates for the proposed strike.
