For those of you who live in Denver, you know about the legend of “Casa Bonita” and if you grew up here like me, you probably have many childhood memories that you can recall.  I remember it being a special treat to go to the restaurant behind the pink facade in a strip mall just west of the city.  Once inside, it was like you had been transported to another world.  It was a gigantic restaurant that had a maze of paths leading to seemingly hidden dining rooms, theaters for puppet and magic shows, an arcade, and tree house themed tables that overlooked the waterfall where cliff divers would perform throughout the night.  There was a roaming mariachi band, face painting, balloon artists, a guy in a gorilla suit that would run around being chased by the “sheriff”, Black Bart’s haunted cave, and of course all you can eat sopapillas that you could have your waiter bring by raising a red flag at your table.  While growing up, there always seemed to be a line of eager families that snaked back and forth through the entrance and out the front door of this popular spot.

In my twenties, Casa Bonita was still a spectacle to visit and take friends largely thanks to the South Park episode that featured the restaurant in 2003, but the place took on a different feel.  The magic and luster started to fade as it became clear that the same attention to detail was not being kept up.  The games in the arcade were mostly out of order, the shows seemed tired, paint was visibly peeling from the walls, and most notably it became infamous for its terrible food.  Soggy tortillas, beans that tasted like cardboard, and mystery cheese earned it the nickname of “Casa No-Eata”.  On more than one occasion I ate dinner before going there and I remember one friend commenting that the “all you can eat option was only $2 more”, to which I replied, “That’s because you can’t eat more than one plate!”.  Most people would have skipped ordering anything if it wasn’t for their “Everyone over two years old must order an entree” policy.  

For many years I was taken aback by how a restaurant known for serving such terrible food was able to stay in business and still attract so many visitors week in and week out.  On Saturday nights the 1,000-seat restaurant was almost always full.  It could make for a great case study in business school pointing to an understanding of what business you are really in.  The original philosophy of founder Bill Waugh of was “Do More”.  He was always looking for ways to “do more” for his customers and create an atmosphere like none other.  That is what inspired the Acapulco themed cliff diving wall and pools that became so iconic.  Casa Bonita was an entertainment venue that happened to serve food. 

After filing for bankruptcy during the pandemic, Casa Bonita was purchased by South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone for $3 million and they proceeded to invest $40 million into a two-year renovation project with the goal to “change nothing, improve everything”. When it reopened last year, they started with limited hours and implemented a lottery system where you must sign up on their website and wait until they send you a link giving you a limited amount of time to reserve a table.  After a year of waiting, I finally got my email invitation last month to make a reservation (which had limited availability) and April and I got a chance to take our kids.  Overall, we were impressed by our visit to what is now dubbed “The Greatest Restaurant in the World”. 

The physical updates gave it a new fresh feel, and at the same time kept the nostalgia and evoked the sense of wonder that I had when I was a kid.  The former creepy gorilla in the ratty costume is now a fun and buff mascot that kids gravitate to for pictures.  The shows were entertaining for both children and adults - clearly infused with humor from South Park.  And the food was awesome thanks to a menu inspired by James Beard Nominated Chef, Dana Rodriguez.  Even the famous flags got an update, and we indulged in our fair share of delicious sopapillas.  It’s clear that the new owners also understand that they are in the entertainment business.  They have impressively created buzz and demand through their reservation system and limited operating schedule (they still aren’t even open seven days a week).  The waiters are great about explaining when and where the shows take place.  The decor and aesthetics keep you wanting to explore all 50,000 square feet of the restaurant.  And there is incredible attention to detail into the experience that guests have when they come to the restaurant.

As businesses, our core product may be one thing, but often we miss what business we are actually in.  I remember a mentor of mine, Mike Roman, telling me once that caterers are in the “non-embarrassment” business.  I always reflected on that as people would call and want us to cater their event.  Sure, they were looking for great food and service, but at the end of the day they were often wanting to entertain or impress their guests and we needed to give them the confidence that they could trust us to help them do that.  This week I hope you’ll take a moment to think about what business you are really in.  Why do your customers come to you?  And what need are you filling for them?  And if nothing else, I hope I’ve inspired you to put your name on the list for a chance to experience Casa Bonita 2.0!

Casa de Leadership!

• We still have a couple of spots available for the MIBE Workshop: August 5-6th, 2024

• Looking forward to opening August 1st for the MIBE Summit: January 26-28th, 2025

• The retreat SOLD OUT, but there is a waitlist opportunity as we look into increasing capacity if you are still interested in MIBE Retreats: November 16-20th, 2024