Chick-fil-A bandits steal hundreds of gallons of cooking oil in repeat heists: report

The manager of a Georgia Chick-fil-A has had enough of bandits stealing used peanut oil — at least 700 gallons of it – from a store dumpster on a monthly basis. 

The thieves have stolen between 700 and 800 gallons of cooking oil valued at $2,000, accorrding to a police report filed by the store’s manager and reviewed by USA Today. 

The most recent heist went down around 3 a.m. at the Atlanta Highway Chick-fil-A in Athens Oct. 5 before the oil could be recycled, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. 

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Lt. Jody Thompson of the department told Fox 5 Atlanta theft of the oil, sometimes called “yellow grease,” is “not uncommon.” 

“[Chick-fil-A staff] noticed that a lock had been cut off the back gate, where the grease trap is located. From there, they determined several hundreds of gallons of oil had been taken out of that,” Thompson said. “These guys rented a U-Haul this time and were able to siphon out several thousand dollars’ worth of oil.”

The manager told police the truck pulled up to the dumpster, and two men got out to skim the oil, per the report. It is unclear whether the incident was caught on surveillance video. 

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“It can be refined and sold, and it can be used as fuel,” Thompson said of the oil’s value. “There are several different markets for the oil that recyclers can utilize.”

Restaurants will often sell their used oil to biodiesel companies, the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release issued after a group stole $3.9 million in cooking oil from several eateries across three states in 2019.

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The thieves in Georgia have pilfered Chick-fil-A’s oil four times now, per the report, striking on a monthly basis. The store has reportedly replaced two heavy-duty locks worth about $70 at least twice.

The manager and staff at the Athens eatery had no comment when contacted by Fox News Digital; Chick-fil-A’s public relations team could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Police are looking to the public for help catching the fast food-targeting thieves, and Thompson urged residents to “say something” if they “see something.” 

“Large vehicles like U-Hauls shouldn’t be around restaurants in the early morning hours,” Thompson said.