Catering company’s owners say crooks stole food truck filled with equipment in Miramar
By JESSICA HOLLY
Click here for updates on this story
MIRAMAR, Florida (WSVN) — Thieves left a bad taste in the mouths of two South Florida business owners who said the source of their livelihood has been taken from them.
Speaking with 7News on Monday, Go Jerk owners Christopher Crooks and Xavian Mckenzie said someone stole his catering company’s food truck in Miramar on Dec. 3.
What makes matters worse, Mckenzie said, is that the truck, which was packed with equipment, was stolen less than a month before it was set to make its first run.
“It kind of set us back in a major way,” he said.
It’s been a long and arduous road for Crooks and his business partner, both from Portland, Jamaica, to reach this point.
Crooks and Mckenzie said they started Go Jerk in 2019 out of a desire to share authentic Jamaican cuisine with the people of South Florida.
“We are trying to keep our culture alive, and that was a big platform for us to showcase our talents and our culture and our food,” said Crooks.
Mckenzie said they started small and have continued to grow. In July, they took another big step in building their business.
“We got the chance. We saved enough money to purchase the truck, and this happened,” he said.
Crooks and Mckenzie said the truck was taken from the 6300 block of Pembroke Road, where they had parked it next to a friend’s business.
The business owners said the perpetrators cut the locks and hauled the truck away.
“You’re not just hurting us, you’re hurting a whole movement,” said Crooks.
It’s a major setback in the Go Jerk owners’ mission to share their love of Jamaican cuisine and culture.
Now they’re hoping the thieves hear their story and have a change of heart.
“It’s way more than losing a food truck, so I hope they can have some human decency about them and at least leave it somewhere where somebody could find it,” said Crooks.
Go Jerk’s owners have started a GoFundMe page. If you would like to make a donation, click here.
Miramar Police are investigating the theft.
If you have any information that could help detectives, call Miramar Police at 954-602-4000 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
