Casa Bonita Responds to Employee Demands for Better Working Conditions and Compensation
DENVER – Casa Bonita, the iconic Colorado landmark, has responded to a list of demands from some of its employees regarding improved working conditions and compensation. The demands were presented by #WeAreTeamCasa, a group of approximately 50 Casa Bonita employees.
The demands from #WeAreTeamCasa include clarity from management on the restaurant’s hours of operation and health benefits, as well as transparency from ownership and “a voice in the workplace.” The collective stated in a statement on Wednesday that they were originally promised benefits but have not met the threshold of worked hours to qualify for these benefits due to the lack of a clear pathway to being open seven days a week. Since its reopening last month, the restaurant has only been operating on Thursdays through Saturdays.
“We were hired for full-time, 40 hours a week, but what we’re getting is 20 hours or less each week on average – even some of us are making less than 15 hours. It’s ridiculous, and we want to be paid full-time,” said Jo Lowry, who works in guest services at Casa Bonita, in an interview with Denver7.
In response to these demands, management at Casa Bonita issued a memo to its staff on Friday. The memo explained that the restaurant has been intentionally opening gradually to refine the complex aspects of the Casa Bonita experience. While management understands the frustration accompanying the slow, soft opening, they have been transparent about the intention and reasons behind the pacing.
“We do not want to make promises to customers or staff that we cannot fulfill,” the memo stated.
#WeAreTeamCasa informed Denver7 that several employees, including former bartender Russ Lee, were let go after contract disputes last month. One such dispute included the adoption of a no-tipping policy, which resulted in a switch to a flat wage of $30 per hour for servers and bartenders instead of the initially agreed upon $14.27 per hour.
Lee stated that the flat rate model meant a pay cut of 40 to 50% for servers without tips, while other workers not serving or bartending earned less than $30 per hour.
In response to the change in salary structure, Casa Bonita management stated that the decision was made due to customers leaving lower-than-expected tips during the soft openings. To address the shortfall in staff income, the restaurant substantially enhanced hourly rates.
“With the unanticipated shortfalls in customer tipping during the soft openings, all staff were experiencing lower income than expected. That is why we moved to substantially enhanced hourly rates,” the memo from management read.
Casa Bonita management also explained that the eatery has doubled its service from 1,148 customers a week to over 2,300 customers last week, and the number is expected to grow to over 2,600 by next week. They stated that this increase in customers has enabled them to provide staff with full-time benefits.
“While this is still a long way from the around 20,000 customers a week we hope to serve, it is a major achievement, as all of our staff have now been given the opportunity to work sufficient hours to have full-time benefits,” the memo stated.
Management encouraged employees to directly share their concerns and assured them that there are multiple venues available to express opinions, both as individuals and as a collective.
“We intend to continue to experiment with changes, alterations, and improvements as dictated by our evolving business and the lessons we learn,” the memo concluded. “One thing that’s certain is that Casa Bonita will keep evolving to continue providing a great place to work and the best guest experience for generations to come.”
As of now, Casa Bonita is only allowing ticketed guests inside for limited dinner hours as part of a “beta-testing” phase. Lunch service is expected to be available soon.
The response from Casa Bonita comes after employees organized to advocate for better working conditions and compensation. It remains to be seen how the negotiations and discussions between management and employees will progress in the coming weeks.