‘It’s kind of a kick in the teeth’: Topeka restaurant searches for missing iconic pig statue

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The owner of a local barbecue restaurant is searching for a lost piece of his family business’s history this week.

27 News talked to Alec Weaver who said an iconic piece of his restaurant is now missing after two people in a pickup truck allegedly took it in the middle of the night. He said the theft is a heavy blow as he looks to reopen his father’s business, Lonnie Q’s BBQ, as Deano’s at Deer Creek this year.

“It’s kind of a kick in the teeth,” Weaver said. “I’m just trying to get open and somebody is already stealing my property.”

The two alleged thieves took the large, heavy wooden pig statue that occupied a spot in front of Lonnie Q’s BBQ, and now Deano’s, around 11:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, according to security footage. The statue, nicknamed “Hamhock,” had sat in front of Lonnie Q’s for years and was bolted to the floor prior to the theft but had been moved recently so it could be touched-up.

“It was really disappointing that somebody would do something like that because what are you gonna do with a wooden pig?” Weaver said. “Just insult to injury really while we’re waiting to open.”

Weaver said he has reached out to police but has yet to file a police report. He hopes the statue turns up sometime soon or is returned in the days ahead.

“It’s a piece of the business,” Weaver said. “A piece of the lore. I hope it turns up.”

You can find Deano’s at Deer Creek at 3150 Southeast 21st Street in Topeka. You can learn more about the restaurant by following it on Facebook. You can send in anonymous tips to law enforcement by contacting Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or by clicking here.

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