The iconic pink restaurant purchased by the creators of South Park will be empty for Halloween. Staff at Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado, will go on strike starting Thursday morning after management “walked away from the bargaining table” during contract negotiations, according to employees. The Mexican restaurant, founded in 1974, is a venerated institution recognized as an official landmark by the Lakewood Historical Society. Casa Bonita became even more popular after it was featured on an episode of South Park in 2004. The show’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, purchased the establishment in 2021. Lead negotiator Andrea Hoeschen with the Actors’ Equity Association said restaurant management offered only 11 cents more over their last wage offer and proposed little protection against future layoffs. “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,” she said. “‘Casa Boo-nita’ will be dressed as an empty pink building for Halloween!” The Daily Beast has reached out to Stone and Parker’s representative for comment.
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