Five-burger reward offered in Connecticut restaurant theft

By Richard Weizel MILFORD Conn. (Reuters) - A Connecticut burger joint is offering five free cheeseburgers - hold the criminal charges - to anyone who helps recover a six-foot high (1.8 meter) fiberglass double cheeseburger stolen from outside the restaurant. The enormous burger, often featured in customers' snapshots at Big Steve's Grill, was swiped while the eatery in Plainville, about 14 miles (22 km) southwest of Hartford, was closed on Sunday night, owner Steve Andrikis told Reuters. To encourage anyone with information about the theft to come forward, Andrikis on Wednesday dangled the promise of five free cheeseburgers and no criminal prosecution. Plainville police were investigating the case after a neighbor who lives across the street told police a Ford F150 pickup truck with its lights off pulled up to the restaurant at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday and two young men took the massive cheeseburger and sped off. “It's probably kids taking part in a prank,” Andrikis said. “We just want the display back. It has become a great symbol of our restaurant, and kids love having their picture taken standing in front of it.” The display cost about $1,100 and “we probably can't afford to replace it,” he said. While Andrikis promised not to press charges against the cheeseburger thieves if the display is returned, he added: “I won't be offering them the five-cheeseburger reward.” (Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Dan Grebler)