$10K Worth of Meat Stolen from Colorado Restaurant’s Freezer at Stanley Marketplace

Restaurants have faced numerous challenges over recent years, but a recent theft adds insult to injury for one Colorado establishment.

A staggering $10,000 worth of meat was stolen from the walk-in freezer of Caroline Glover’s restaurant, Annette, located at Stanley Marketplace.

The crime comes amidst ongoing worries about the future of the industry, with a new Denver ballot measure proposing to ban slaughterhouses.

Surveillance footage captured three individuals breaking the lock and making multiple trips to fill trash bags with meat, leaving the freezer almost completely empty. Glover, who also owns Traveling Mercies, estimated the loss equated to about three nights’ worth of service.

The rising cost of food already strains restaurants, and such thefts force owners to consider raising prices to stay afloat.

“Our industry has had a really tough four years, ever since the pandemic,” said Glover, who expressed frustration at this latest obstacle.

Other restaurants in the area have also been targeted, including Piramides in Aurora and Tessa Delicatessen on Colfax, highlighting a concerning trend of thefts targeting meat supplies.

Adding to the pressure, next month, Denver voters will decide on a measure that could potentially shut down the city’s only slaughterhouse, Superior Farms.

Glover argues that this would lead to increased costs for restaurants, as meat would have to travel greater distances, resulting in higher carbon emissions and consumer prices.

Despite the challenges, Superior Farms came to Glover’s aid, donating 1,000 pounds of lamb after the theft, humorously dubbed the “lambulance.”

Several locks and bars have since been added to Glover’s freezer, but this theft is yet another hurdle in a string of difficulties faced by the restaurant industry.

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