Casa Bonita, reopened by Trey Parker and Matt Stone after a $40M‑plus renovation, is the subject of an NLRB complaint alleging unfair labor practices. A federal trial in Denver is scheduled for Dec. 7. The NLRB says Casa Bonita refused to bargain in good faith with Actors' Equity and cut more than 1,000 performer hours amid negotiations. Performers — including magicians and cliff divers — had voted unanimously to unionize after disputes over pay and working conditions.
Casa Bonita Sued by NLRB — Denver Trial Set for Dec. 7 as Performers Allege Bad-Faith Bargaining
Exterior of Casa Bonita in "¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!" (Photo Credit: MTV)
Three years after Trey Parker and Matt Stone invested tens of millions to renovate and reopen the iconic Colorado restaurant Casa Bonita, the venue is facing an unfair labor practices complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board. A federal trial in Denver is scheduled for Dec. 7.
The NLRB alleges that Casa Bonita refused to bargain in good faith with the performers' union Actors' Equity and that management cut more than 1,000 performer hours while contract negotiations were ongoing. The charge follows nearly two years after the restaurant's live performers — including magicians, cliff divers and other acts — voted unanimously to join Actors' Equity.
"This complaint vindicates what the workers have been saying throughout 18 months of bargaining: Casa Bonita would rather play games with their livelihoods than seriously bargain for a fair contract,"
said Andrea Hoeschen, general counsel for Actors' Equity Association. She added, "The NLRB's complaint should be a wakeup call for the employer. Whether or not they choose to do the right thing, we're in this for the long haul. We'll see them back at the bargaining table soon — and then we'll see them in court."
Casa Bonita, famous for its lavish Mexican‑themed décor and staged entertainment, opened in 1974 and became a local institution. Its national profile grew in 2003 when Parker and Stone built an episode of South Park around the restaurant. After closing in 2021 amid pandemic pressures, Parker and Stone led a restoration and reopening reported to have exceeded $40 million. The reopening campaign was documented in the MTV film ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2024.
Almost immediately after the reopening, complaints from performers and staff began to surface. Axios reported that some employees said they were pressured to sign new agreements offering $30 per hour but explicitly excluding tips from the wage calculation. Continued disputes over pay and working conditions prompted a unionization drive involving Actors' Equity and IATSE.
In August 2025, Actors' Equity president Brooke Shields posted a video on social media directly addressing Parker and Stone, urging them to instruct Casa Bonita management to bargain in good faith:
"Without the performers who bring Casa Bonita to life, it's just a big, pink restaurant. It's time to do the right thing. Please agree to a fair contract, and please enable these performers to focus on providing the world‑class experience that Casa Bonita's guests expect and deserve and help them get it,"
TheWrap has contacted representatives for Trey Parker and Matt Stone seeking comment on the NLRB complaint and the upcoming trial. The NLRB's allegation and the scheduled December trial represent a major escalation in a dispute that has drawn national attention because of the restaurant's celebrity owners, its cultural profile, and the involvement of national labor bodies.
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