The Cozy Inn vs City of Salina court case is continuing, and so is the mural, or sign, in question.  Artist Colin Benson has started working again on the artwork on the outside wall of the iconic burger restaurant in Downtown Salina.

Work on the UFO-themed mural on the outside wall of the Cozy was ordered to halt on November 6th, 2023. At that time owner Steve Howard was ordered to stop work on it, after the City of Salina classified the artwork as a regulated sign rather than a mural. The City contended it depicted hamburgers and therefore violated sign codes. The current Salina code as written regulates signs, but not murals.

Howard, represented by the Kansas Justice Institute, sued the City contending his First Amendment rights were being violated.  On November 19th, 2025, a federal court sided with the Cozy in the lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge Toby Crouse ruled the City of Salina violated the First Amendment by ordering Howard to stop painting the mural.

On December 16th, 2025, the Salina City Commission elected to appeal the decision. Both sides agreed that there needs to be more clarification from the court in regard to the constitutional definition of a sign vs a mural. The case will have ramifications across the country.

In the meantime,  while the case goes through the appeals process, the Cozy is allowed to finish the mural with the understanding alterations may need to made, pending the outcome of the appeal.  If the appeal is resolved in favor of  the City, the Cozy must come into compliance within 180 days.

The appeals process is anticipated to take 18 to 24 months to resolve through the court system.

As of December 2025, the City of Salina has spent over $700,000 in legal fees fighting the Cozy Inn mural lawsuit.