DENVER (KDVR) — Casa Bonita is just weeks away from opening to the general public. While we still don’t have an official opening date yet, the restaurant continues to prepare for the grand reopening. However, one of its biggest challenges lies outside the pink venue.

It’s not the food, the staffing or the security that is the biggest challenge at Casa Bonita. Instead, it’s the parking.

According to a public records request obtained by FOX31, the Lakewood Police Department said that the landowner did an independent study and found the restaurant just doesn’t have enough parking spaces for its anticipated amount of guests.

Casa Bonita is located at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. inside a strip mall which is also home to a Dollar Tree, Planet Fitness, Arc Thrift store, a Dutch Bros Coffee, and others.

This means the restaurant has to share the already busy parking lot with multiple other businesses.

LPD said they are working with Casa Bonita to try and identify partners that could ease the parking situation.

The department reached out to RTD about using the nearby parking garage that is never at capacity, but RTD said its rules restrict them from allowing Casa Bonita to use the lot. So, they are currently looking for other partners.

Another solution to the parking problem is directing traffic flow. Casa Bonita is committed to having two to three officers manage public right-of-way traffic flow during peak times.

While there is no exact answer on how the restaurant will deal with the parking lot, LPD said Casa Bonita’s gradual opening will help everyone gauge the need for more space.

Casa Bonita will open in phases from soft openings, to limited capacity, before transitioning into a full opening.

“This should really help us gauge what is needed and make changes as necessary,” said LPD in a report.

Casa Bonita, which first opened around 1974, hasn’t been open since the spring of 2020 — first due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and then for extensive repairs after it was sold.