Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Jonah Feingold, ‘Busboys’ follows two oddballs, Markie Montgomery and Steefen ‘Steef’ Barn, as they go on a quest to climb up the social ladder. Markie took Steef under his wing more than 16 years ago, and since then, they have been leading a mostly dull life. However, when Markie gets convinced that becoming a waiter will bring joy, riches, and attention in his life, and to do that, he makes Steef join him on this little adventure. The path to becoming a waiter at a top-level restaurant, however, goes through the post of a busboy, and to become just that, they get hired at Open Border Bistro, an Arizona restaurant that specializes in Tex-Mex cuisine, and perhaps more. Throughout this bromedy movie, the restaurant constantly reinvents itself, fitting into every genre mash that is launched its way.
Open Border Bistro is a Fictional Restaurant That Gets Engulfed in a Drug Mystery
Open Border Bistro is a fictional location created by David Spade and Theo Von as the main setting of ‘Busboy.’ As the film’s title implies, much of the story revolves around restaurants, and Open Border Bistro embodies every little quirk that is demanded of this romp. While the restaurant itself may be invented, its origins can be traced back to the writers’ real experiences. Theo, in particular, has often recounted his experiences from when he worked as a restaurant attendant, commonly known as a “busboy,” and how he once worked in one of the Mexican restaurants in his area. It is likely that the restaurant, which Theo hasn’t named as of writing, serves as the rough base for the place we see on screen. The differences, however, lie in how Open Border Bistro engages with the movie’s plot.
On top of being the backdrop to most scenes in the movie, Open Border Bistro also seems to have some connection to the local drug trade, and with this, the movie intentionally plays on the stereotype of restaurants and similarly public locations being used for illicit drug trafficking. In real life, there have been vaguely similar places, such as in 2018, when a drug-smuggling tunnel was discovered connecting a building in Mexico and an abandoned fast-food restaurant in San Luis, California. However, what we see in ‘Busboys’ appears to be a wholly creative construct that is using such ideas as references. Theo has himself joked about the baseless stereotypes linking busboys to drug trafficking, and this also becomes a point of dark humor in the film.
While Open Border Bistro might not be a real location, some inspiration can likely be found in how it is brought to life. Almost all of the filming reportedly took place in the city of Pomona, located about 30 miles away from Los Angeles. It is possible that some restaurants and diners were temporarily transformed into Open Border Bistro for the movie, along with some intricate set work, rounding things up for the more complicated interior shots. Despite being an invented place, the restaurant still brims with life because of how naturally the writers and performers weave the story around it.
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