Local group makes a big splash to stop Casa Bonita sale to “South Park” creators

Save Casa Bonita, a radical of section fans of the landmark Lakewood eatery, has filed a ineligible question successful bankruptcy tribunal to artifact a pending merchantability of the edifice to the creators of “South Park” aft failing to person them to power sides and squad with them connected the purchase.

Colorado natives Trey Parker and Matt Stone, done 1 of their companies reached an statement with the restaurant’s owner, Summit Family Restaurants, to wage $3.1 cardinal to marque Casa Bonita’s creditors full and acquisition operating assets.

They besides agreed, extracurricular of the bankruptcy process, to wage an undisclosed magnitude for the restaurant’s trademarks and intelligence property, which Bob Wheaton, CEO of Summit Family Restaurants, owns successful a abstracted company. The acquisition statement upended a bid that Save Casa Bonita had been moving connected to bargain the edifice from Summit after the Scottsdale, Ariz., institution filed for bankruptcy extortion connected April 6.

“Our biggest fearfulness isn’t that Matt and Trey volition ain the restaurant,” said Andrew Novick, who heads Save Casa Bonita. “Rather it is that the Zeppelins are getting successful connected this deal.”

Novik said Zeppelin Development, which is down The Source Hotel and Marketplace and Zeppelin Station successful the River North Art District, is the section spouse that Parker and Stone are teaming with to run Casa Bonita, a necktie that neither Zeppelin Development nor the “South Park” creators person confirmed.

Kyle Zeppelin, co-president of Zeppelin Development, was connected abrogation and didn’t respond to interrogation requests by telephone and email.

“They are landlords … they aren’t restauranteurs,” Novik said.

Save Casa Bonita, which Novik said has backing from section restauranteurs, is serving successful that advisory relation with an unnamed capitalist who is fronting the wealth for the group’s bid.

Save Casa Bonita tried unsuccessfully for months to scope Parker and Stone astir joining its effort, yet making a transportation earlier this period and pitching wherefore it would beryllium the champion radical to spouse with, Novik said. On Friday, the radical heard backmost — the brace would enactment the course.

On Monday, Save Casa Bonita filed an objection to the income agreement, arguing that its acquisition connection of $3.5 cardinal was $400,000 higher than what the South Park squad has offered and would “maximize” the worth of the restaurant.

The filing besides argues that the restaurant’s landlord, BSV Lamont JCRS, exerted “undue influence” by telling Summit Family Restaurants it wouldn’t consent to an statement reached with Save Casa Bonita to acquisition the edifice for $7.3 million, including the intelligence property.

Novik said that was due to the fact that BSV knew different connection was successful the works with the creators of “South Park,” besides large fans who had made the edifice an planetary sensation by featuring it successful respective episodes of the animated series.

Judge Michael E. Romero could cull the motion, determine that Save Casa Bonita has provided the amended connection oregon enactment the assets up to a competitory auction. Given that Parker and Stone signed a $900 million-plus woody successful August with ViacomCBS for six much seasons of South Park, arsenic good arsenic 14 streaming movies, Novik said helium has nary uncertainty who would triumph if Casa Bonita went to auction.

Save Casa Bonita is besides a creditor successful the lawsuit aft paying disconnected section nutrient vendors and mariachi musicians who were owed wealth and it could effort to person a bulk of creditors to cull the sale. But Novik concedes that is simply a agelong shot, fixed that the landlord, the largest creditor aft unpaid rent going backmost to erstwhile the edifice unopen down successful March 2020, is connected committee with the agreement.