DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Tio Juan Mexican Grill faced closure after not remitting sales and liquor taxes but now may have a new life.
Tio Juan is one of the more popular eateries in Decatur, but when the 6th Avenue eatery fell into trouble over thousands of unpaid sales taxes, Decatur city council members were looking to shut it down.
The restaurant failed to remit the sales taxes for a year from 2022 to 2023 but paid after a city reprimand in September 2023.
“These are taxes that people that go and eat there and but there are paying that to the city of Decatur,” said Jacob Ladner, Decatur City Council President.
According to the city’s revenue manager, the restaurant fell behind again in the spring of this year.
But in October, city officials reported that Tio Juan paid an undisclosed amount of what was owned. The city council voted to give them two weeks and the restaurant was able to pay for the final half.
Tio Juan manager Mirna Cendejas told News 19 that she acknowledged the issue as the restaurant has struggled to recover the lost income.
“The issue is valid because over the years we’ve never gone behind until the past when we had pandemic and other some stuff going on,” said Cendejas.
City leaders say the non-payment of tax occurrence is rare for Decatur city businesses but now that Tio Juan has caught up, both the city and restaurant owners are looking to keep the community mainstay in place.
“We’re glad that everything is settled that way we can invite the community to come and support us and help us out because we owe it to them,” Cendejas said.
