State tax agents seized a popular deli in West Wash Park this week, alleging the owner of the business failed to pay more than $140,000 in sales and wage taxes since opening the business at the start of last year.
The owner, meanwhile, is blaming the financial error on technical issues by a third-party accountant charged with filing state tax payments.
Documents and warrants from the Colorado Department of Revenue announcing the seizure were taped to the inside of the door of Leven Supply, 300 E. Alameda Ave., on Wednesday. A notice posted Tuesday by tax compliance agent Anna Johnson-Artrup ordered the restaurant’s equipment, furniture and property be put up for auction, though it did not list an auction date or location.
A Colorado Department of Revenue spokesperson, Derek Kuhn, shared the same documents with the Denver Post on Wednesday afternoon.
Leven Supply is the sister restaurant and fine-goods market of Leven Deli Co. in the Golden Triangle. Both delis were founded by Anthony Lygizos, a graduate of the University of Denver.
In a statement Wednesday, Lygizos said, “I want to be very clear on two things: At no point has Leven intentionally avoided paying taxes. And at no point have we not paid our employees.”
He continued: “We’re dealing with an unfortunate situation resulting from a former third-party accounting contractor mishandling Leven Supply’s sales tax filings and payments. That contractor is no longer working with us, and since discovering the issue, we have been actively working with the city and the state to resolve it.”
In the statement, Lygizos said the state would “temporarily close” Leven Supply as the restaurant’s new accountants stepped in.
Two warrants taped below the seizure notice detail a total of $140,345.39 in unpaid taxes. They’re addressed to Leven Supply, LLC, of which Lygizos is the registered agent.
Most of the total is the sum of unpaid sales taxes dating back to January of last year, the month that Leven Supply opened, according to one warrant. The other warrant delineates about $2,300 in withheld income tax on wages.
A post on Leven Supply’s Instagram account said the restaurant was closed “due to unforeseen circumstances” and would reopen “as soon as possible.”
Lygizos is planning his third Leven location on the ground floor of an office tower in downtown Denver. That deli is expected to open sometime this year.
In January, The Denver Post called Leven Supply one of the biggest restaurant openings of 2025.
