Back in 2013, at the peak of Moscow Mule madness, nationwide reports surfaced about the copper mugs that the cocktail comes served in going missing at a remarkable rate. Now every time I see one of the lustrous vessels behind a bar, my mind wanders: “Who would steal a copper mug?” “Was it a dare?” “Is there an underground tribe of artisan bladesmiths preparing for a Bronze Age revival?”
I started asking Dallas restaurant owners, general managers, and chefs about some of the strangest things that have gone missing from their establishments and was shocked to learn that people will lift just about anything they can get their greedy little hands on. Art, grapefruit, and wallpaper are among some of the weirdest items stolen from Dallas restaurants.
In no particular order, here’s a compilation of the craziest stories I’ve heard.
“We had a smoker stolen from TJ’s while it was smoking salmon. It was literally smoking hot, and we cannot figure out how they lifted it. I can only imagine them hightailing it out of there with sweet salmon smoke billowing out the back of their truck.” — Jon Alexis, Owner of TJ’s Seafood Market
“When we first opened, my sainted and elderly mother bought me a little ceramic pig bowl that we used to keep mints in near the front door. Some drunk sorority girl stole it. My mother still asks if we ever caught the person who stole it. Also, for some reason, people keep peeling and taking pieces of our bathroom wallpaper in Fort Worth. I think we finally wrote the website and style number on the wall so they would stop stealing it.”— Jay Jerrier, Owner of Cane Rosso
“An affluent, intoxicated patron stole two grapefruits from Proof + Pantry’s shelf while they were dining because they wanted to eat them for breakfast the next day.” — Sal Jafar II, Co-Owner of Proof + Pantry
“Well, there has been a lot of things. Aaron’s whole tool box before we opened, a grill that we had to chase the guy down the street [for], a bike outside is currently being taken apart piece by piece every day. Our coasters get stolen all the time. Our herbs out front — Aaron [Small Brewpub co-owner] caught someone grabbing the whole mint plant and walking away. One of our servers’ tailgate was stolen in the middle of the day. But nothing too crazy.”— Misti Norris, Executive Chef at Small Brewpub
“Mouthwash from the restroom. Since we carry over 129 tequilas, we save our Patron or Corzo bottles and use them as a vessel for mouthwash in the restrooms…I guess whoever took it liked the look.” — Gabriel DeLeon, Managing Partner and Executive Chef at Mi Dia From Scratch, Plano
“We had to chain our Pizza Crack to the wall at one point because the shakers full of it were getting stolen so much. Also, during remodel someone tried to steal a toilet that was sitting out in our hallway.” — Sammy Mandell, Co-Owner of Greenville Avenue Pizza Company
“Weirdest thing was 60 pounds of ground beef. Worst thing was personal signed picture from John Travolta.” — Jason Boso, Owner Twisted Root Burger Co. and Truck Yard
“At Jasper’s Plano, I had guests stealing river rocks out of the ladies’ room sinks, soap dispensers from the men’s room, and one lady took the entire vase off Table 12 with the flowers. At Abacus, glass rocks out of the display at the circle drive that is illuminated. This guy took three and jumped into his Yukon and drove off after he got his car from the valet. At Blue Plate someone stole two of the seat cushions from the chairs on the front patio.” — Kent Rathbun, Restaurateur
“A member of a well-known band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once stole a Mexican piggy bank off of a table at Smoke Dallas when they dined there.” — Chris Jeffers, Creative Director/Partner of Turn The Tables Hospitality Group
“Here in Cook Hall there has only been small things like silverware, salt and pepper grinders, and glassware. But in one of my other properties I had things like décor taken because I wouldn’t sell it.” — Johnny Sanchez, General Manager at Cook Hall
“We had a painting stolen out of the men’s room at Bijoux. Who does that? How did they take it out? It happened during service. It was there when we started and gone by 9 p.m., towards the end of the dinner rush. We also had a votive stolen. I called the guest to let them know that unfortunately we did not put the item on their bill. I did not tell them we had the whole thing on video. I gave them two choices: the walk of shame to pay for it or the walk of shame to give it back. Otherwise I would pass it on to the authorities. They tried to purchase a gift certificate for twice the amount so they would not have to come in. I told them that we did not want anything that was not ours, so overpayment was not an option or a gift card, and that I needed a signature on the credit card. They came in and paid for the votive after about 10 phone calls trying to get out of the embarrassment of the whole thing.”— Scott Gottlich, Chef and Restaurant Owner
“We had a lady come in and I watched her put two electronic candles, used as décor in the restaurant, in her purse at about $35 a pop. We added the cost to her bill and received a call from her a couple of weeks later complaining about the additional charge. After she threatened to sue for the charge, I mentioned we had taped footage of her stealing the candles. She hung up immediately. We’ve also had people steal the salt and pepper holders right off the table, bottles of wine, and even artwork off the walls of the bathroom.” — Tony Street, Owner and Chef Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse
“I guess the weirdest thing stolen would have to be the framed sign that replaced previously stolen artwork in the men’s room. They took the sign out of the frame, then drew a tiny penis in the blank space left within the frame. They also constantly steal hand soap from the ladies’ bathroom. It’s Mrs. Meyer’s. You can get it at Target, Ace Hardware, Whole Foods, Amazon. Why steal it from us? … Also forgot to mention we’ve caught people stealing firewood from inside our smokehouse and even whole briskets right off the pit.”— Diane Fourton, Co-Owner, Pecan Lodge
“The most unusual thing we have had stolen—actually two of them—in the last few years has been our four-foot-long pepper mills. We get inquires all the time from guests as to where they can purchase them, but our managers are perplexed as to where someone could possibly hide and walk out with one of these.”—Richard Chamberlain, Restaurateur
I started asking Dallas restaurant owners, general managers, and chefs about some of the strangest things that have gone missing from their establishments and was shocked to learn that people will lift just about anything they can get their greedy little hands on. Art, grapefruit, and wallpaper are among some of the weirdest items stolen from Dallas restaurants.
In no particular order, here’s a compilation of the craziest stories I’ve heard.
“We had a smoker stolen from TJ’s while it was smoking salmon. It was literally smoking hot, and we cannot figure out how they lifted it. I can only imagine them hightailing it out of there with sweet salmon smoke billowing out the back of their truck.” — Jon Alexis, Owner of TJ’s Seafood Market
“When we first opened, my sainted and elderly mother bought me a little ceramic pig bowl that we used to keep mints in near the front door. Some drunk sorority girl stole it. My mother still asks if we ever caught the person who stole it. Also, for some reason, people keep peeling and taking pieces of our bathroom wallpaper in Fort Worth. I think we finally wrote the website and style number on the wall so they would stop stealing it.”— Jay Jerrier, Owner of Cane Rosso
A member of a well-known band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once stole a Mexican piggy bank off of a table …
“An affluent, intoxicated patron stole two grapefruits from Proof + Pantry’s shelf while they were dining because they wanted to eat them for breakfast the next day.” — Sal Jafar II, Co-Owner of Proof + Pantry
“Well, there has been a lot of things. Aaron’s whole tool box before we opened, a grill that we had to chase the guy down the street [for], a bike outside is currently being taken apart piece by piece every day. Our coasters get stolen all the time. Our herbs out front — Aaron [Small Brewpub co-owner] caught someone grabbing the whole mint plant and walking away. One of our servers’ tailgate was stolen in the middle of the day. But nothing too crazy.”— Misti Norris, Executive Chef at Small Brewpub
“Mouthwash from the restroom. Since we carry over 129 tequilas, we save our Patron or Corzo bottles and use them as a vessel for mouthwash in the restrooms…I guess whoever took it liked the look.” — Gabriel DeLeon, Managing Partner and Executive Chef at Mi Dia From Scratch, Plano
“We had to chain our Pizza Crack to the wall at one point because the shakers full of it were getting stolen so much. Also, during remodel someone tried to steal a toilet that was sitting out in our hallway.” — Sammy Mandell, Co-Owner of Greenville Avenue Pizza Company
“Weirdest thing was 60 pounds of ground beef. Worst thing was personal signed picture from John Travolta.” — Jason Boso, Owner Twisted Root Burger Co. and Truck Yard
“At Jasper’s Plano, I had guests stealing river rocks out of the ladies’ room sinks, soap dispensers from the men’s room, and one lady took the entire vase off Table 12 with the flowers. At Abacus, glass rocks out of the display at the circle drive that is illuminated. This guy took three and jumped into his Yukon and drove off after he got his car from the valet. At Blue Plate someone stole two of the seat cushions from the chairs on the front patio.” — Kent Rathbun, Restaurateur
“A member of a well-known band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once stole a Mexican piggy bank off of a table at Smoke Dallas when they dined there.” — Chris Jeffers, Creative Director/Partner of Turn The Tables Hospitality Group
We’ve caught people stealing firewood from inside our smokehouse and even whole briskets right off the pit.
“Here in Cook Hall there has only been small things like silverware, salt and pepper grinders, and glassware. But in one of my other properties I had things like décor taken because I wouldn’t sell it.” — Johnny Sanchez, General Manager at Cook Hall
“We had a painting stolen out of the men’s room at Bijoux. Who does that? How did they take it out? It happened during service. It was there when we started and gone by 9 p.m., towards the end of the dinner rush. We also had a votive stolen. I called the guest to let them know that unfortunately we did not put the item on their bill. I did not tell them we had the whole thing on video. I gave them two choices: the walk of shame to pay for it or the walk of shame to give it back. Otherwise I would pass it on to the authorities. They tried to purchase a gift certificate for twice the amount so they would not have to come in. I told them that we did not want anything that was not ours, so overpayment was not an option or a gift card, and that I needed a signature on the credit card. They came in and paid for the votive after about 10 phone calls trying to get out of the embarrassment of the whole thing.”— Scott Gottlich, Chef and Restaurant Owner
“We had a lady come in and I watched her put two electronic candles, used as décor in the restaurant, in her purse at about $35 a pop. We added the cost to her bill and received a call from her a couple of weeks later complaining about the additional charge. After she threatened to sue for the charge, I mentioned we had taped footage of her stealing the candles. She hung up immediately. We’ve also had people steal the salt and pepper holders right off the table, bottles of wine, and even artwork off the walls of the bathroom.” — Tony Street, Owner and Chef Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse
“I guess the weirdest thing stolen would have to be the framed sign that replaced previously stolen artwork in the men’s room. They took the sign out of the frame, then drew a tiny penis in the blank space left within the frame. They also constantly steal hand soap from the ladies’ bathroom. It’s Mrs. Meyer’s. You can get it at Target, Ace Hardware, Whole Foods, Amazon. Why steal it from us? … Also forgot to mention we’ve caught people stealing firewood from inside our smokehouse and even whole briskets right off the pit.”— Diane Fourton, Co-Owner, Pecan Lodge
“The most unusual thing we have had stolen—actually two of them—in the last few years has been our four-foot-long pepper mills. We get inquires all the time from guests as to where they can purchase them, but our managers are perplexed as to where someone could possibly hide and walk out with one of these.”—Richard Chamberlain, Restaurateur
