On Wednesday last week, 50 Casa Bonita employees gathered for an all-hands meeting and delivered a letter of demands to owners and “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, according to a statement from the employees, which was released on Wednesday afternoon.
The staff was notified just days before the Lakewood landmark reopened on June 23 for a series of soft openings that higher-ups had decided to eliminate the option for customers to tip and instead offer workers a flat fee of $30 an hour. Casa Bonita originally was planning to pay bartenders $14.27 an hour plus tips, according to the employee statement.
The employee letter is asking the owners to revert to what was originally promised by ownership when they were hired months ago, and to clarify hours of operation, since there is no “clear pathway” to being open seven days a week, they said. They are also asking for access to health benefits; for transparency and two-way communication with ownership.
The collective dubs themselves #WeAreTeamCasa, and drafted the letter with the help of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United — the nation’s first and largest restaurant workers-led organization. They gave ownership and upper management one week to respond, but according to the release, they have ignored the demands.
“There was a promise of lucrative business which would bring an incredible opportunity monetarily,” said employee Gayle Durr in the statement. “We have yet to see any of this lucrative business – despite people nationwide waiting patiently to finally see the inside of this Colorado landmark. We want to see Casa Bonita thrive, and if ownership/management cannot bring that about, then we will.”
Another employee, Michelle Mendenhall, said in the statement, “I’d gladly take minimum wage, with tips, so that our kitchen can receive better pay, give them the $30 they deserve it. We also need to see more operating hours so that we can all be offered benefits, as originally promised to us. Park County (Casa Bonita’s ownership entity) needs to remember we (the hourly employees) are the ones who love this place and will take care of it with joyful enthusiasm. In return, we ask them to see our humanity and let us earn a competitive wage with benefits.”
“This is a bait-and-switch – we were excited about the possibility of reviving a Denver institution, but what began as a really fun adventure has turned into a real-life financial nightmare…”, said recently fired bartender, Russ Lee in the statement.
Casa Bonita management on Wednesday evening released the following statement:
“Casa Bonita strives to create the best working environment for its employees. This includes implementing the best compensation structure for all employees—not just a few. To the extent some employees have concerns about our policies, we will continue to make ourselves available to discuss their concerns, individually or as a group.”
The Denver Post will update this story with more information from Casa Bonita or the workers when it becomes available.
