Welcome back to Shit People Steal, in which we ask chefs and restaurateurs what items in their restaurant have been (or are frequently) stolen.
When opening his NE Prescott bar Grain & Gristle a year ago, chef/owner Ben Meyer had items he expected to go missing — like mason jars, decorative gourds, and jars from the spot's wall of canned veggies (indeed, "people have grabbed whole containers of [bottled] pork rinds," Meyer says). But the most surprising recurring theft? A less-than-elegant bathroom apparatus that consistently goes missing:
"The thing that's been the most bizarre: Three times now, the plunger from the bathroom — gone. And no one can figure out where it went or how someone got out with a plunger. Or what they would want it... I can think of a few reasons why they would want it, but none I want to assign to our customers. Three times now. There are other things that have disappeared, but I think the plunger is the most unique one. If it were just once, I would have written it off — oh, it must have broken and someone threw it away. But three times, it's like someone is coming in here for plungers. I hope [it's the same person]. I hope we have one freaky customer and not multiples — not three."
Have a restaurant theft story to share? Whether you're the victim or perpetrator, send it here.
· Grain & Gristle [Official site]
· All Previous Shit People Steals [Eater PDX]
