By Danny Cox
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South Park may be the focal point of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's career, but the duo has never been averse to experimenting with other creative endeavors. Whether it's their infamous Broadway Musical The Book of Mormon, their beloved South Park-inspired video games, or that time they made a sitcom centered around George W. Bush. The latest endeavor for Parker and Stone wasn't a movie or musical but rather buying a children's Mexican restaurant near their hometowns in Colorado: Casa Bonita. The restaurant was on the verge of bankruptcy when the duo made the decision to buy it outright, but in a new documentary, ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!, their passion project becomes unwieldy in ways they could hardly expect. Unfortunately, they had no choice in the matter.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone Love Casa Bonita
To those in the greater Colorado area, Casa Bonita is a childhood staple. Much more than a mexican restaurant, Casa Bonita is an indoor entertainment world somewhere between between Chuck E Cheese and Disneyland. It is an immersive world where kids could explore a faux Mexican village, interact with performers dressed as gorillas, watch cliff divers jump from high heights into a pool, take in a puppet show, visit a bandit's hide-out cave, and so much more. It's the kind of place that seems like another planet to a young child, and even if the food was subpar, it's the kind of place that stays with you long into adulthood. That's why Parker and Stone made a South Park episode about it.
Season 7's "Casa Bonita" starts with Kyle announcing he's going to have his birthday at the titular restaurant, much to the excitement of Cartman. But Kyle tells Cartman he's not invited because... he sucks. Instead, Kyle invites Butters, so Cartman must find away to keep the good-natured and gullible Butters from going, in this case faking the apocalypse and convincing Butters to hide in a bomb shelter. The ruse proves difficult to maintain but that won't stop Cartman from enjoying every last bit of Casa Bonita before he gets caught. It is a hilarious episode that quickly became a fan favorite, even more so when fans discovered it was a real place!
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There was some worry from the restaurant when the notoriously raunchy show approached them to use their likeness, but Parker and Stone quickly put them at ease. Parker responded, "How can we rip on Casa Bonita? That was your dream as a kid to go to Casa Bonita for your birthday." In the DVD commentary, not only do they speak about Casa Bonita with reverence, but how everything they recreated from the decor to the attractions was completely accurate. Parker and Stone weren't the only ones who knew the restaurant, with Stone admitting "if you grew up within a few hundred miles of Casa Bonita, you knew about it cause you wanted to go." It seems when the business went up for sale they were practically obligated to save it.
Casa Bonita Was More Than Parker and Stone Bargained For
The duo announced they bought the restaurant in 2021 with plans to restore it to all its former glory. Their excitement was palpable when discussing it with the governor of Colorado, saving it from bankruptcy and promising an improvement to the notoriously disappointing food. Parker said, "I think everyone knows the potential of what that place can be," and from day one they started brainstorming. As the documentary shows, Parker and Stone met with a chef known for her Mexican cuisine and embarked on a trip to Mexico for inspiration. But all of that enthusiasm began to wane once they started looking at the place...
The initial budget of four million dollars soon proved to be vastly inefficient. As soon as contractors came in to examine the structure, it was clear that much more work would need to be done before they could even think about what they wanted to add. A new HVAC system, clearing the pigeon graveyard on the roof, renovating the iconic fountain and cliff diving pool, and so much more ballooned the budget beyond Parker and Stone's wildest beliefs. For something that started as a purely joyous endeavor, the reality was beginning to weigh down on them. Sound business advice would have been to cut their losses. But buying Casa Bonita was never about making money for Parker and Stone.
Casa Bonita Was a Project of Passion
The joy of ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!, a follow-up of sorts to 6 Days to Air (both directed by Arthur Bradford), is how it captures the duo in a creative state. Despite all of the complications (and there were many), Parker and Stone were committed to restoring Casa Bonita. The restaurant wasn't just a fun thing they could own to make some money off of, but another way for them to express themselves. Much of the latter half of the documentary shows the duo working through trial and error as they attempt to figure out what exactly the new experiences should be. They constantly ask each other what they would have enjoyed as kids and how they can apply that to the aesthetic and the performers. Towards the end, Parker starts staging things like a dress rehearsal and making changes after seeing how it plays. Not unlike looking at test footage of South Park episodes in early stages and making adjustments to the last minute. It's a fascinating look into the process of bringing something to life even though it's not the usual format one might expect.
Though South Parkwill not be returning until next year, ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! will give fans more than they could have asked for... including an urge to book tickets on the next flight to Denver. The genuine passion Parker and Stone have to carry them through the project is inspiring to see at every moment. In an era where billionaires are spending money on yachts so big they need another yacht to support it, it's nice to see people who have had tremendous success use their wealth to give something that means the world to the state that raised them. Not only that, something positive for children of all ages to enjoy. Though, they probably wouldn't have minded spending a little less money...
¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! is available to stream on Paramount+.
¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!
Documentary
Comedy
In ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone endeavor to save the iconic Casa Bonita restaurant, a cherished piece of Denver's history known for its unique attractions. As the beloved eatery faces closure, their efforts highlight the cultural and nostalgic significance it holds within the community.
- Release Date
- September 6, 2024
- Director
- Arthur Bradford
- Cast
- Trey Parker , Matt Stone
- Runtime
- 88 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Studio(s)
- MTV Documentary Films and Sweet Relief Productions
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount+