The renovations required to restore and reopen Casa Bonita reportedly cost “upward of $40 million.”
That’s according to the New York Times, which spoke with owners Matt Stone and Trey Parker, also the creators of the venerable TV show “South Park,” during one of the restaurant’s soft opening nights earlier this month.
Estimates procured by 9 News last August put the renovation at $12 million, in addition to the $3.1 million price tag to purchase the local landmark. But as construction mounted, so too did the bill.
“When the figure reached $20 million, business advisers encouraged Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker to pack it in. These days, Mr. Stone said, the investment was closer to ‘infinity dollars,’” the publication wrote.
“We could have rebuilt this twice as big, for half as much money, but we spent so much restoring it, like a piece of art,” Stone added.
That echoes what Parker told The Denver Post last summer: “What we thought would be, ‘Oh this will be cool. We can buy this and open it and it’ll be around again,’ turned into ‘Oh this is going to be what we have to put all our money into and hope that it works.’”
Some of the renovations cost time and extensive trial and error. According to the Times, it took crews 27 tries to match the exact shade of Pepto Bismol pink on the exterior tower. Others, however, required remediating dangerous conditions.
Scott Shoemaker, who oversaw renovations, told the Times that divers were previously forced to exit the pool through a 30-inch-wide underwater tunnel that led to an electrical room. That exit was widened and relocated.
Stone and Parker also had to invest in ovens and range tops, telling the publication that the kitchen didn’t have any.
“It was all steamers. They steamed everything,” Stone said.
They also had to fix leaky gas lines and plumbing that allowed cooking grease to get into the city wastewater, the pub reported.
As far as what longtime fans and new customers will notice is just a bit of sprucing up. As we previously reported, Casa Bonita has been revived with a fresh coat of paint, a thorough cleaning and new technology. Four new bars have also been built inside, the Times said.
We recently got a sneak peek at the improved food and drink offerings; see what to expect here.
