Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. So, it turns out that actress Brooke Shields made a reservation at Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant in Denver, Colorado, under a fake name. But it wasn’t to avoid the paparazzi, bless their hearts. It was so the management team and owners, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are also the creators of South Park, wouldn’t know she was coming. Shields, who is also the president of Actor’s Equity, was there to deliver a letter asking for better wages for the restaurant’s performers.
The performers at Casa Bonita, which is known for its live entertainment, including cliff divers, puppeteers, and magicians, have been trying to unionize and negotiate for better pay and working conditions. Shields told CNN that the place is so big that it took a while for management to realize she was there, and then word got out because, you know, she didn’t have a hat on and a mustache or anything.
The performers are asking for better protections, including an active shooter policy, emergency action plan, and security for costumed performers who interact with patrons. They’re also asking for a raise to bring their wages more in line with the servers, who make more. The union says it’s already made concessions at the bargaining table, but with little offered in return to improve current conditions and wages.
Casa Bonita’s management said in a statement that they value all of their team members and their well-being, but they don’t comment on ongoing labor negotiations. Parker and Stone, on the other hand, have been mum on the whole situation. Shields says she’s escalating the issue after prolonged negotiations over not just pay, but fundamental safety issues.
The restaurant has been a Denver institution for over 50 years, and Parker and Stone have been frequent visitors recently. They even reopened the restaurant in 2023 after spending millions of dollars to renovate it. But despite their investment, the performers say they’re not being treated fairly. One diver, Bethel Lindsley, says she’s had to fight to get safety procedures in place, and some of her colleagues have quit due to the poor working conditions.
Another performer, Joshua Emerson, who dresses up as a gorilla, says he’s been grabbed sexually over 20 times since working at the restaurant. He adds that there’s no security to protect performers, and perpetrators aren’t held accountable. It’s tough, he says, because all he wants to do is make people laugh and be entertained.
For Shields, the fight is personal. She oversees much larger negotiations between Actor’s Equity members and groups like Broadway League, but the Casa Bonita fight is small but significant. She says it doesn’t take long to feel how disparaging it is when you visit a place and see young people excited to perform at the top of their game, but not being cared for.
In conclusion, the situation at Casa Bonita is a complex one, with performers fighting for better wages and working conditions. While Parker and Stone have invested heavily in the restaurant, they seem to be turning a blind eye to the performers’ concerns. As Shields said, it’s the ensemble, the people who are there day in and day out, that are really the backbone of what they do. And it’s time for Casa Bonita to start treating them with the respect and care they deserve. After all, you can’t put a price on safety and fairness – but apparently, you can put a price on a good taco, and it’s about $10 more than what the performers are currently making.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
