Chef B, of B’s Sizzling Kitchen, has had his Filipino restaurant broken into three times with no arrests. Courtesy photos.
The outraged owner of a Horner Avenue restaurant says his small business has broken into three times by thieves with no arrests and he has had enough.
Benedict Lucido, better known as Chef B, wrote that a robbery on August 15 was the third at his B’s Sizzling Kitchen, known for its signature Cebu Lechon and kamayan menu of fresh seafood and grilled meats.
“…broken into for the third time now,” the Filipino restaurant owner said on a social media post. “It’s disheartening and frustrating, to say the least.”
He said ‘we haven’t heard anything from the last two incidents, and we don’t expect to this time either, but we still went through the whole process.’
Chef B wrote that the thief went straight for his food, which is worth a lot with high prices these days.
They said there has been no arrests by police for the heists, which have caused thousands of dollars in damages from smashed windows and frames.
Also broken into recently was a hamburger restaurant on Brown’s Line, near Evans Avenue. There has been no arrests in that incident.
There were a similar rash of thefts last year when about a dozen small businesses were robbed in similar smash and grab type burglaries.
The thefts are similar since they usually involve the smashing of a glass door pane. A security camera obtained images of a suspect who is being tracked down by police.
The chef said the thief headed straight for his food and stole ‘lots of it.’
The suspect captured on a security camera appears to be involved in suspicious activity. The suspects of the three robberies are at large.
“I know our food is good, but really, there’s no need to break in,” according to the post. “You could save us the hassle and anxiety of cleaning up, replacing the door, etc., — just ask nicely next time.”
The owner said things are tough for most people these days and they will not let the theft ‘break’ them.
“We’re choosing to move forward and find the good in the bad and hoping this will be the last time something like this happens,” he wrote. “We have faith that things will get better.”
The post stirred many feelings with many people in the community who showed support for the business.
“There’s no need to break in anywhere for food when there are tons of places that offer free hot meals three times a day,” wrote Lynn Stephanie.
Another reader said the break-ins seems to be a common occurrence for food places.
“The burger place on Brown’s Line was broken into last weekend in their second break-in,” she wrote.
Dawn Henri said she was ‘outraged indignant that someone did this to your store.’
“Police are paid to deal with this,” she said. “I’d like to know if the culprit Is found charged or punished.”
Chelcie Lumbao suggested the eatery place a metal cross across their windows to prevent the robbery from happening again.
The restaurant if popular with Filipinos for its Cebu Lechon, which is a boneless, pork-belly roll version of traditional Filipino Lechon.
The roasted pork belly originates from chef B’s home city in the Philippines, Cebu, and was revered even by chef Anthony Bourdain for its crunchy golden skin and flavourful meat.