While the focus was on the graduates, questions about what Casa Bonita will look like when it reopens were inevitable, and we were able to glean a few bits of information. They don't have to be a dishwasher for the last ten years and the next five years.' And just getting to class has been a unifying experience for some of the employees: Rodriguez notes that because some workers don't drive, carpooling has created a closer bond within the team. 'One of the girls just approached me and said, 'Can I go and work at your restaurant one day a week so I can keep practicing?' They get more confident so they can start doing different things. 'With this team, I think the classes helped them have more confidence,' she says. She points to the inertia and lack of motivation that can overtake anyone when they've become comfortable in an environment, noting that changing jobs can seem daunting because an employee may be expected to speak more English or Spanish. Rodriguez has observed positive changes both in individuals and group dynamics as a result of the language classes. Rodriguez embraces her swearing habit cheerfully, noting: 'Everybody can tell you, 'What is Dana's rule?'' she says. 'A little, but not because of Dana, because of us just asking the teacher,' says Gentry. The question of how many swear words Perez and Gentry learned (in class) was met with belly laughs from both. 'There's not that disconnect of maybe being nervous to talk to a Spanish speaker.'Īmy Antonation Of course, anyone familiar with kitchen culture, much less the irrepressible, potty-mouthed Rodriguez, knows that a language class for her employees wouldn't be complete without learning a few curse words. 'This class we've been in has brought us all together even more,' he says. 'The company gave me the opportunity to learn more English,' he says, noting that he took advantage of the course because he has 'too many questions.' He reenacts waving his hand above his head in class: 'Teacher, teacher, pick me!' While his English was good before class, he smiles broadly as he says, 'But it's better now.'īeau Gentry has been employed at Casa Bonita as a cliff diver and entertainer since 2016, and admits his Spanish was 'muy mal, no bueno' before the course. 'It feels really good to be equal, because usually you push the Spanish speakers to learn, and this was right down the middle.'Īlex Perez, a native Spanish speaker, has worked at the iconic restaurant since 1995 as a 'server, bartender, sopaipilla maker when they need one' - basically a Juan of all trades. An older employee who had completed the Spanish class said to his instructor, 'It's been an honor and a pleasure.'Īmy Antonation 'I was very surprised with the English speakers who wanted to learn Spanish, because you never see that,' says Rodriguez. As each person was called to the front of the room to collect their certificates, there were cheers from the audience and plenty of warm hugs between teachers and students. The room was filled with employees of all ages - from teenagers to folks who could be grandparents - all wearing bright blue T-shirts emblazoned with the restaurant's name in a familiar pink, curlicued font.

On September 22, those 29 students graduated at a low-key ceremony celebrating their newfound language skills. Community College of Aurora instructors took on two cohorts: fifteen Spanish speakers learning English and fourteen English speakers learning Spanish.

The program wasn't a joke: For 26 weeks, students attended ninety-minute classes twice a week. And they also gained an opportunity to invest in their own skills when Casa Bonita launched English and Spanish language classes for employees in the hopes of facilitating communication and camaraderie among its workers. Many have remained on the payroll while working at nonprofit organizations like Project Angel Heart, We Don't Waste and the Action Center. the supply chain, the construction.we have no idea.'īut the restaurant's longtime employees aren't sitting idle. Especially with the size of the place we have.we don't know where we're going to find hundreds of employees. 'People don't realize it was already hard to go through construction and open restaurants before,' she explains. Neither does Dana Rodriguez, the James Beard-nominated chef tapped to run the kitchen. First things first: No, we don't know when Lakewood's pink palace is reopening.

Bonita english