Casa Bonita will open in stages, with a public lottery and then tickets

The first lucky locals to be able to dine at Casa Bonita in Lakewood will be selected via a lottery and invited to bring up to five family members with them during a soft opening period. The beloved eatertainment venue will then sell tickets for three days as it ramps up in stages to a public opening with regular hours, The Denver Post has learned.

Lakewood Police Department Commander Jon Alesch detailed the opening plans in a security-related email procured by The Denver Post through a Colorado Open Record Act request. The May 11 email to other Lakewood city employees doesn’t include specific dates when this will happen and Casa Bonita has not announced when it will open to the public.

The restaurant did, however, begin soliciting signups to its newsletter on May 26, stating its first guests will be pulled exclusively from its email list.

While the email from Alesch did not state when ticketed dinners would be held, the commander wrote that the system “should help avoid the ‘wait in line’ group on Facebook from gaining any traction.” More than 15,000 people have RSVPed to a fictitious Facebook event in hopes of lining up to be among the first to try the new menu, crafted by James Beard-nominated chef Dana “Loca” Rodriguez.

A representative from Casa Bonita was not immediately available to comment on when ticketed dinners would happen or how much tickets will cost.

After the soft openings and ticketed events, which are expected to include about 500 people, Casa Bonita plans to open for dinner only Monday through Saturday, Alesch said in his email.

“A short time later that will transition to seven days a week nighttime only,” the email states. “Then, the restaurant will move to being open all day on the weekends. Finally, six to eight weeks into opening they will be open seven days a week all day.”