LAKEWOOD — Inside Casa Bonita on Friday morning, things went on more or less as they have for the past 41 years: Cliff divers prepared for their leaps, waitstaff bustled about getting ready for the lunch rush, and the curse over Black Bart’s Cave remained in place.

What made this day different was that it was all done under the restaurant’s new landmark status.

Earlier Friday, a small group of city leaders, former cliff divers, employees and locals gathered to see the Mexican-style eatery honored as a Lakewood Historical Society Landmark.

It wasn’t the food or pop culture status that garnered Casa Bonita a landmark designation, but instead the unique architecture, history and community engagement that made it a great candidate, said Lakewood Historical Society member Ann Moore.

“They’ve made such a great contribution to the community,” Moore said. “They’re a locally grown business that employs 300 people in the summer months — for many young, local kids, this is their first job.”

That was the case for manager Mike Mason, who started working at Casa Bonita almost 40 years ago at the age of 16.

“We’re not going to change the original formula,” Mason said. “That’s what we attribute our success to.”

Lyle Miller still has bragging rights that his brother-in-law Jeff Woiskie was a Casa Bonita cliff diver more than 20 years ago.

“Telling people that always made me look pretty cool,” Miller joked.

Aaron Wheat, 35, said his dad loved Casa Bonita so much he took Wheat there five days after being born, much to the protestations of his mom.

“Since then I’ve been coming here at least once a month pretty much my entire life,” Wheat said. “It’s part of my heritage. I always take out-of-town visitors here — no one really knows it exists, they just think it’s a South Park episode.”

There’s a good chance future generations will still be visiting Casa Bonita: The restaurant recently secured a long-term lease with the new owners of the strip mall at Colfax Avenue and Pierce Street.

Broad Street Realty will be investing millions in facade and parking lot improvements at the Lamar Station Plaza as part of a wave of redevelopment along the west Colfax corridor.

Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, tabriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs