Black-owned business out $88K after food truck stolen, police say

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — While people across Memphis are supporting Black-owned businesses for the city’s annual Black Restaurant Week, a group of thieves set a Black-owned business back tens of thousands of dollars over the weekend.

Sunday, the only day Hillboyz Wing and Burger Bar is closed, thieves pulled up behind the restaurant in broad daylight.

They hooked up two trailers filled with items worth tens of thousands of dollars and drove off.

Their every move was captured on the business’s surveillance camera.

Owner Tabitha Collins is calling on anyone who recognizes the thieves to come forward.

Burgers, wings, nachos, and more have phones ringing non-stop at the restaurant off Lamar Avenue and Knight Arnold Road.

The booming business that opened just five months ago is now about $88,000 in the hole.

“They got away with the food truck we were building for a client. It had all his equipment and everything in it. We just had to do some final touches on it,” said Collins.

The thieves were captured on surveillance video Sunday morning around 11 hooking the trailer up to a U-Haul and pulling off. They took their time inspecting the trailers, hooking them up to steal them.

The video shows a man in a yellow reflector vest rolling their barbeque grill to the back of a grey pick-up truck. Even more shocking: they return hours later to finish the job and steal a mobile workshop used to build food trucks.

“For you to take everything you have taken from us, you have not only set us back, but you have put us at a loss because we have to work harder to replace these items,” said Collins.

“It only makes us work harder. And get stronger. But you get nothing from taking from us. It’s going to wash through your hands,” she said.

If you recognize anyone in the video, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Collins is offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.

She has also set up a GoFund Me to replace the trailers. If you are interested in helping out, CLICK HERE.

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