City Board: Mushroom Decorations At Raleigh Restaurant Can Stay

In January, city inspectors told the owners of the Mellow Mushroom restaurant that their sculptures were in violation of the sign ordinance. The owners appealed to the Raleigh Board of Adjustment arguing that the giant fungi were public works of art, not signs.

The Board ruled the decorations were technically signs, but officials allowed them to stay.

"We stayed positive. I mean, we felt like, it's eight citizens on the board, and we felt good about it the whole time. We were kind of expecting this decision," restaurant owner Casey Fox said.

The owners paid $10,000 to have the mushrooms made.