Actress Brooke Shields recently visited Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant in Denver, Colorado, to deliver a letter asking for better wages for the restaurant’s performers. The restaurant, which features live entertainment, including cliff divers and costumed characters, has been a Denver institution for over 50 years.

Working Conditions and Wages

Performers at Casa Bonita claim they are not being paid a living wage and are working in unsafe conditions. They say they have suffered hypothermia and chlorine toxicity from the diving pool and have been grabbed sexually by patrons. The performers, who are represented by Actor’s Equity, are asking for better protections and a raise to bring their wages more in line with the restaurant’s servers.

Casa Bonita’s management has not commented on the specific accusations, but says it values the well-being of all its team members. The restaurant’s owners, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, have not responded to requests for comment.

Unionization Efforts

The performers at Casa Bonita unionized in April 2024, with about 80 performers represented by Actor’s Equity. The union has filed several labor complaints against the restaurant, including retaliation and refusal to bargain. Shields, who oversees negotiations between Actor’s Equity and groups like the Broadway League, says the Casa Bonita fight is small but personal.

The restaurant, which was saved from bankruptcy by Parker and Stone in 2023, has undergone a $50 million renovation and upgrade. The owners say they hope to make their money back by 2040 or 2045. The performers say the restaurant is constantly packed and that the owners have the money to increase their wages.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.