Robbie's Smokehouse owner stumped after 'very noticeable' trailer stolen

The owners of a restaurant south of Montreal are scratching their heads after a trailer emblazoned with their logo and photos of a giant hamburger disappeared.

Co-owner Bobby Dimitriadis said two men in a grey pickup truck "very casually'' hitched up the trailer and drove away with it at around 9:45 Friday night.

The nine-metre trailer is covered with the name, logo, address and phone number of the restaurant, Robbie'sSmokehouse& Burger Bar.

"It's unbelievable that somebody would do something like that,'' Dimitriadis said.

"I don't know what to say."

Captured on camera

He said the incident which occurred only hours after the trailer arrived at the eatery was captured by the restaurant's security camera.

We were hoping to be ready for festivals that start off the summer season in and around Montreal with big weekends coming up.- BobbyDimitriadis, owner

The restaurant, which is located in Kahnawake, Que., had planned to install kitchen equipment in the coming days to turn the trailer into a mobile food truck.

Dimitriadis said the trailer's value is close to $20,000.

He said the vehicle is insured but the loss could still be costly.

Not only could insurance premiums go up, but the restaurant could also lose revenue if they can't get a replacement vehicle ready for the summer season, he said.

"We were hoping to be ready for festivals that start off the summer season in and around Montreal with big weekends coming up,"he said.

A spokesman for the local police force said there were no suspects as of Monday evening.

Not the first time

Although the theft of food trucks appears to be a rare occurrence, it's not unheard of.

Thieves in Barrie, Ont., made off with an ice cream truck in August 2015. It was found the next day with significant damage.

A representative from Brown & Brown Insurance, which insures over 900 food trucks and trailers in the United States, said they have only had one theft claim.

"Unless they were going to dismantle and sell for parts, I don't see a lot of reasons one would steal a truck or trailer, it's too much risk and work for too little reward,"Denton Christner said in an email.

A spokesman for another company, Paprocki Insurance Agency, estimated the risk at one in 400.

Neither company insures food trucks in Canada.