An alarm at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q went off just after 4 a.m.
When officers got to 1238 Dekalb Ave., they found the front door of the restaurant open. They also found that the safe was missing from the office.
Investigators and the owners were called to the restaurant, Atlanta police said Wednesday. Security video was reviewed, which showed the perpetrators had lifted the heavy safe.
The safe was found in less than three hours on Haygood Avenue and returned to the business.
"Well you guys may have been able to break in, steal our safe, and get away,” the restaurant said on Facebook, “but you were unable to get it open before APD caught up with ya, you may have ran but you left your car behind, and it wasn't stolen.”
No arrests have been made, and a spokeswoman could not say whether anyone was with the safe when it was recovered. A complete incident report is not yet available.
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Fox Bros., considered one of the top barbecue spots in the nation, posted about the incident on social media, thanking police for their quick work.
The investigation is ongoing.
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