Casa Bonita, The Restaurant Featured In South Park, Files For Bankruptcy

Casa Bonita, a popular Colorado landmark elevated to iconic restaurant since being featured in South Park, has filed for Chapter 11 protection according to The Denver Channel. The restaurant had been closed during the pandemic, though reportedly recently announced it would be reopening soon--but those plans are as of this writing now unclear.

The Denver Channel further reports that the documents filed by Casa Bonita did not specify the amount of debt the company owes, though "the filing states that the company's noncontingent liquated debts are below $7.5 million." This is also not necessarily an indication that Casa Bonita will close for good, just that it at least needs time to reorganize and strategize over its debts.

South Park co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who have both loved the restaurant since childhood, once considered buying the restaurant. In a 2016 interview, Parker told The Hollywood Reporter: "Four years ago, it came up for sale and we had 10 minutes of like, 'We should buy it,' because they do have a few things up there now where they're like, this is the South Park Casa Bonita. There are people who go to Casa Bonita because of South Park."

Stone and Parker have not yet provided a comment to this developing news, but are likely aware of the situation--and it might even be the focus of an upcoming Season 24 episode, whenever the season is finally announced. The show recently pulled off a run of two hour-long specials, each standalone and not part of any season, about the pandemic and then about vaccines. This potential shuttering of a local, iconic institution is an up-to-the-minute current event that'd fit right in with the show's topical nature, and also something all towns everywhere are navigating.