Scotty’s BBQ in Atascadero vandalized
The owners of Scotty’s BBQ in Atascadero were woken early Thursday morning by police, after the restaurant was vandalized.
Jason Heard, who co-owns the restaurant with his brother, Adam, estimated about $2,000 to $3,000 in damages from the vandalism, which resulted in a smashed window and a broken beer cooler, among other minor damage.
“We’ve had bigger issues,” Heard said in a phone interview with The Tribune. He said police went to his brother’s house around 5:30 a.m., and he was told soon after.
“We think it could just be someone traveling around, maybe intoxicated,” Heard said. “As best we can tell, they just assumed it might be an easy snatch-and-grab sort of deal, or maybe didn’t assume we have the alarm system we do.”
Atascadero Police Lt. Jason Carr said a passerby reported the restaurant’s window smashed at about 5:20 a.m. No one entered the business, and nothing was stolen, Carr said.
Heard said the restaurant, in the 5900 block of El Camino Real, is about 800 yards from the Police Station and the alarm went off as soon as the window was broken.
“Within a few minutes, the cops were there,” Heard said. “It could have been worse. I’m not upset, it’s just one of those things you’ve got to deal with sometimes.”
Heard said business would continue as usual and they are going to board up the broken window until they can replace it.
“There’s no serious issue in regards to our barbecue,” Heard said. “It’s just one of those things that, it happens. You fix it and move on.”
Heard asked anyone with information about the vandalism to Facebook message the restaurant or send him an email at jason@scottysbbqpit.com.
Carr also asked anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to call the Atascadero Police Department at 805-461-5051.
This story was originally published December 20, 2018 at 2:50 PM.
