‘South Park’ creators clash with performers at their Colorado restaurant

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Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of “South Park,” recently signed a hugely lucrative TV contract. However, performers at their Casa Bonita restaurant in Denver are now accusing them of being stingy.

As a huge cinema fan, I was really disappointed to hear about the strike late last October. The performers, including those incredible cliff divers, walked off the job for three days because they felt the working conditions weren’t safe and talks about their first union contract had completely stalled. It’s good to remember they actually voted to join Actors’ Equity Association a year prior, hoping to address these kinds of issues.

The restaurant workers stopped striking after management agreed to involve a neutral third party to help with talks.

The dispute is still ongoing, leading the Actors’ Equity Association to place an ad in the Denver Post. The ad portrays Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of “South Park,” surrounded by money, while their staff is shown struggling with the cold outside.

The union is pushing Casa Bonita’s owners to address worker concerns by offering around 60 performers – like magicians and puppeteers – their first contract, which would include better pay and benefits.

Employees at Casa Bonita recently voted to form a union with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 7.

As a huge Casa Bonita fan, I was relieved to hear from management that they really care about their staff and want to make sure everyone’s doing okay. They’ve also said they’re working with the union to reach a fair agreement – which is great news! Hopefully, they can come to a deal that benefits everyone involved so the magic of Casa Bonita can continue.

Parker and Stone declined to comment through a spokesperson.

The creators of the Broadway hit “The Book of Mormon” saved a struggling, brightly colored Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado, from closing in 2021. Since then, they’ve invested over $40 million to renovate the building and fix serious problems with its electrical, plumbing, and structure, which had deteriorated over time.

Hollywood Inc.

Following weeks of discussions and the possibility of legal action, ‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone successfully reached agreements to bring their famously irreverent cartoon to Paramount+.

Since it appeared in the seventh season of the popular Comedy Central show “South Park,” this location has become a special destination for devoted fans.

In that episode, Cartman gets really upset when Kyle invites Stan, Kenny, and Butters to a birthday party at Casa Bonita—a place Cartman desperately wants to go. While there, they’re entertained by the restaurant’s ever-present mariachi bands.

Like many Colorado kids, Parker and Stone have happy memories of visiting Casa Bonita when they were growing up in the 1980s. They’ve become dedicated to restoring the restaurant, and their efforts were chronicled in a documentary called “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!,” which you can watch on Paramount+.

In July, Paramount executives were working to finalize details for the company’s sale to Skydance Media and RedBird Capital Partners. At the same time, the future leadership team got involved in ongoing talks with Park County, the production company of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, hoping to reach an agreement and prevent the deal from falling apart, which could have jeopardized the sale.

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The new season of ‘South Park’ arrived at a particularly relevant moment. The first episode doesn’t hold back, offering harsh criticism of Paramount, CBS, and President Trump.

Paramount and Park County reached an agreement to continue their partnership. As part of this deal, Paramount secured the exclusive global streaming rights to the show for $300 million annually over five years. Previously, the show was only available on HBO Max.

The overall deal is slated to bring Parker and Stone’s firm $1.25 billion through 2030.

The deal includes a commitment from the creators to produce 50 more episodes of “South Park” for Paramount. The show has seen higher ratings and become more talked about recently, largely due to its frequent satire of President Trump.

As a big fan of live entertainment, I was really interested to hear that Actors’ Equity – the union representing Broadway folks – is fighting for better pay for the performers at Casa Bonita. Apparently, right now, the average hourly wage there is somewhere between $21 and $26, and the union is pushing for a raise, which seems totally fair to me.

According to David Levy, communications director for Actors’ Equity, Matt and Trey have built their fortune by calling out the flaws of those in positions of power. However, Levy points out that they are now acting in the same way as the people they often criticize.

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2025-12-24 02:01