#34: Casa Bonita
Casa Bonita (“Pretty House”) was a chain of Mexican-themed entertainment restaurants that was founded in 1968. The company was founded in Colorado, and one of its restaurants still remains in Lakewood. There are also restaurants in Arizona that have the same name, but they are not connected to the Star Buffet, Inc. chain.
The company was sold to Unigate in 1992, and Casa Bonita’s franchises were almost all renamed under the Star Buffet brand, though a few were called “Casa Viva.” Only the Lakewood, Colorado branch remains, and Lakewood’s Historical Society named the restaurant a “historical landmark” of the city, preventing it from being shut down.