photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

The Salty Iguana Mexican restaurant at 4931 W. Sixth Street, is pictured on Feb. 27, 2025.

One of Lawrence’s larger Mexican restaurants is closed, and has signs on its doors that its assets have been seized by the Kansas Department of Revenue.

The Salty Iguana Mexican restaurant in the shopping center at the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive had bright red “seized” signs on its entrances Thursday morning. There also was a business card on one of the signs, pointing vendors and other interested parties to the “warrant execution” division of the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Officials with the Kansas Department of Revenue on Thursday morning confirmed that the department had taken seizure actions against the Salty Iguana’s Lawrence and Prairie Village restaurants on Wednesday. Such seizures normally are related to unpaid taxes to the state, with income and sales tax deficiencies the most common type of of issues that lead to the state shutting down a business. I don’t have details on the type of amounts of delinquencies involved in this case, but expect to get those details soon. Check back for updates.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

A sign posted on the door of Lawrence’s Salty Iguana restaurant is shown on Feb. 27, 2025.

As for the fate of the Salty Iguana, it could be the end for a Lawrence restaurant that has approximately a couple of decades in the Lawrence market. I couldn’t find our article of when the Salty Iguana opened in Lawrence, but I found articles dating back to 2008 reporting on events at the Lawrence restaurant.

It was a high profile restaurant for a long time. Its Iguana Dip — white pepper cheese and tortilla chips — was one of its signature dishes. The restaurant hosted lots of KU events over the years and at one point in time had KU Coach Bill Self as one of its local advertising personalities, although that hasn’t been the case recently.

The restaurant is part of a small, regional chain founded by KU supporter Dan Chandler in 1992. The restaurant’s first location was in the Johnson County community of Prairie Village. An official with the Kansas Department of Revenue confirmed the assets of that location also were seized on Wednesday. I’m unclear on whether the company’s restaurant in Independence, Mo. remains open. The company hasn’t acknowledged the closings of the Lawrence and Prairie Village restaurants on its website or social media. The company in September did announce the closing of its Olathe restaurant.

If the Salty Iguana indeed is done in Lawrence, that will leave a large space available in the shopping center. It was one of the largest tenants of the shopping center at 4931 W. Sixth Street, which also is home to Six Mile Chop House, Morningstar Pizza, ProPrint, Eileen’s Colossal Cookies and several other businesses.