On the new episode of “South Park,” which aired Wednesday night, Cartman and Kenny decide to renovate and reopen a historic Colorado restaurant – “a place where people from all over Colorado would come and see!” Cartman gushes.
The plot sounds a lot like what’s happening in the real lives of the show’s creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who purchased famed eatertainment venue Casa Bonita in 2021 and are on the precipice of its grand reopening in May.
The episode, however, isn’t about Casa Bonita. Instead, Cartman has the genius idea to reimagine the place he and his mom have been living for several seasons now: The Coney Island Hotdog stand, based not so subtly on the sausage-and-bun-shaped Coney Island Boardwalk restaurant in Bailey.
Last year, Stone and Parker told The Denver Post they had considered saving the Coney Island Boardwalk the same way they did Casa Bonita, but “we just can’t take on another broken restaurant project right now.”
Still, that didn’t stop the duo from living out their aspirations on screen. The new episode, entitled “DiKimble’s Hot Dogs,” is also clearly infused with their real-life experiences reviving Casa Bonita, from the naive enthusiasm that all the hot dog stand needs is “some minor renovations and some care” to the bank account statements boasting $0.
It’s also apparent, however, that Stone and Parker haven’t lost their sense of humor. The new hot dog stand is called DickinBaus (say it out loud) and each link comes served with a strategically placed “smile” of ketchup.
Will DickinBaus specialties make an appearance on Casa Bonita’s menu? We’re not entirely sure. But this episode is sure to satisfy those anxiously awaiting the restaurant’s reopening.
