The Great Steak Caper of '76

"The legend around Buzz Buttered Steaks grew even wider in 1976 when thieves stole a Buzz truck containing more than six tons of the popular product. By the time a multi-state manhunt ended, more thana dozen well-fed accomplices were charged with distributing stolen goods. As publicity around the case grew, Buzz Buttered Steaks experienced record sales and the rest, as they say, is history."

The quick summary above is printed on the back of our brand new retail boxes, and may have as much to do with the popularity of Buzz Buttered Steaks as the quality of the product itself. I get asked about this part of the product's history all the time, by young people who want to know if it's true, or by older folks who swear they remember every detail. I always let people know that it absolutely happened, although if the entire truth were told, the thieves who stole the truck were probably didn't set out to enter the steak business. They were running a stolen car ring and, for whatever reason, were looking for a refrigerated truck. Only after they got the truck all the way to Parkersburg, WV did they realize that the contents of the truck could be awfully valuable. (Sort of like snatching a purse and finding the crown jewels inside. :)) As the story goes, they quickly scrambled to rent some cold storage space and recruited a group of friends to try and sell the product door-to-door. This turned out not to be the smartest plan, but as my Dad used to say, "That's why they were criminals." Anyway, I'll revisit this story another time with more details and perhaps some outside perspective.