Salina, KS – The Cozy Inn restaurant has filed a lawsuit against the City of Salina over a burger-themed mural on the side of its restaurant that remains unfinished.
KSN News reports that last year, the restaurant was told by the city that a new mural being painted on the side of the building violates the city's sign code policy.
The mural features “burger-esque flying saucers piloted by aliens with blasts of ketchup and mustard.”
The city of Salina forced the Cozy Inn to put down the brushes. The mural remains unfinished.
Cozy Inn's owner Steve Howard claims the code violates free speech under the First Amendment. and allows for “discriminatory enforcement.”
Howard is asking for a permanent injunction, stopping Salina from taking action against the restaurant and the mural. He is not suing for money and simply wants to complete the mural, according to the lawsuit.
On Feb. 8, 2024, the lawsuit says the city sent a letter “which neither granted nor denied a permit” and placed his application “on-hold until a review of the sign regulations is complete.”
The Cozy Inn has been featured in Readers Digest and on the Travel Channel’s “101 Tastiest Place to Chow Down” and “America’s Top Ten Hamburgers.”