South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone poured at least $40 million into revamping Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado. They did so with loving attention to detail, and during the project’s extensive renovations, the new owners made headlines for the special perks that they gave to existing employees. That included continuing to keep those workers on the payroll and asking them to volunteer some of that time to places like Habitat for Humanity. Employees were also treated to bilingual language classes, which is rad.
However, a bit of a controversy has been brewing, and that has to do with the restaurant’s soft-opening rollout. Their revamped “eatertainment” venue is currently only open for select dates and by invitation only. That coincides with a new policy to eliminate tipping for servers and bartenders while paying all workers at least $30 per hour. This meant to level the playing field between front-and-back-of-house staffers and also provide a more predictable income for workers, so they aren’t reliant upon “tipping culture” to know whether they can pay bills and the like.
When this policy came to light, Axios reported that a few workers weren’t thrilled, and now, the Denver Post reveals that around 50 workers are asking management to reverse the no-tipping policy and be more upfront about hours that the joint will be open. The workers further argue that they cannot pursue health benefits with the current scheduling plan. The Denver Post reveals details on an letter from staffers:
The employee letter is asking the owners to revert to [the pay structure that] was originally promised by ownership when they were hired months ago, and to clarify hours of operation, since there is no “clear pathway” to being open seven days a week, they said. They are also asking for access to health benefits; for transparency and two-way communication with ownership.
The group sounds generally frustrated with the limited business involved with the slow rollout:
“There was a promise of lucrative business which would bring an incredible opportunity monetarily,” said employee Gayle Durr in the statement. “We have yet to see any of this lucrative business – despite people nationwide waiting patiently to finally see the inside of this Colorado landmark. We want to see Casa Bonita thrive, and if ownership/management cannot bring that about, then we will.”
The people want their sopapillas, too, but man, this was a huge undertaking by Parker and Stone, so perhaps a slow rollout is for the best in an overall sense. They want to get this right, but the process has apparently turned out to be a bit more controversial for workers than planned. Hopefully, business hours will fully open up soon, and the cliff diving can commence for real.
(Via Denver Post)
Source: https://uproxx.com/viral/casa-bonita-tips-controversy/