Owners scramble to serve customers after smoker stolen from Detroit food truck

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A local food truck business is reeling after someone stole an important piece of kitchen equipment.

The couple who owns Jamaica Mi Hungry 313 says they’re now out of a smoker, which they say is the backbone of their business.

Detroit police did take a report and are now investigating.

Richard and Tanisha Marzouca keep their precious smoker locked up for a reason. It’s the secret behind their locally renowned and authentic jerk chicken.

“It is not just a grill to us — it is our livelihood. Back in Jamaica, we would call it our bread and butter,” head chef Tanisha Marzouc said.

Early Tuesday morning Richard Marzouca says a neighbor from across the street noticed something odd: wood that would normally sit on top of the smoker was on the sidewalk.

“He says, ‘Hey, did you do something with the smoker?’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘The smoker is not there.’ And I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Richard Marzouca said. “So I came out here and looked and almost fainted.”

The Jamaican Mi Hungry 313 food truck is only open on Mondays and Fridays. The Marzoucases say that’s because they essentially run the entire operation themselves.

“We almost don’t know what we are going to do Friday,” Tanisha Marzouca said.

Richard Marzouca said, “We are still going to marinate the kitchen, but we honestly don’t know how we are going to grill it.”

Tanisha Marzouca is the head chef and Richard does the smoking and grilling. All of their meats are halal and by closing time, they usually sell out.

They say the food speaks for itself and customers keep coming back for more.

“When we came here, they were so happy to have us. They were like, you guys please don’t leave us, and I said no, we are here,” Tanisha Marzouca said.

Richard Marzouca says he’s looking into smokers for rent, so they can continue serving customers. But really, they just want theirs back, which they say is valued at roughly $20,000.

They say the worst part is prior to this, they were focused on investing in a nearby building to expand the business.

“You think about just throwing in your towel. You know, I’ve been really thinking about this and good experience can come out of it,” Richard Marzouca said.

Detroit police say they are investigating and are looking for surveillance video in the area.
Officers have yet to come out, but we’re told they’ll be there Thursday.