{"id":7561,"date":"2025-04-02T03:31:28","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T03:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7561"},"modified":"2025-04-02T03:31:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T03:31:28","slug":"streator-community-assists-dig-dougs-bbq-reopening-after-burglary-shaw-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7561","title":{"rendered":"Streator community assists Dig Doug\u2019s BBQ reopening after burglary – Shaw Local"},"content":{"rendered":"


Dig Doug’s in Streator reopened after a recent burglary. <\/span>(Derek Barichello)
Dig Doug\u2019s BBQ in Streator<\/a> recently reopened its doors after a break-in that left the restaurant\u2019s front door shattered and cash stolen.
The burglary occurred on the morning of Dec. 29, before owner Doug Allen arrived at his restaurant to find the damage.
\u201cAs soon as I turned into the parking lot and my headlights hit the front door, I saw it was gone. Glass everywhere,\u201d Allen said.
Although Allen initially investigated the scene before calling the police, he was able to confirm money was stolen during the break-in.
\u201cI probably shouldn\u2019t have gone in there before I called the police, but I had to see what happened,\u201d he said.
Despite the emotional toll of the incident, Allen and co-owner, Joi Ruffin, were able to reopen quickly.
The break-in took place on a Sunday, Dig Doug\u2019s last day of operation for the week, and the restaurant was closed for repairs during its normally scheduled Monday-to-Wednesday closure.
The owners had to board up the door, repair the damage and address the impact on their security systems.
\u201cWe\u2019ve been here for seven years, and we\u2019ve had some vandalism, but this is the first time we\u2019ve been burglarized,\u201d Allen said. \u201cI mean, I just felt sick to my stomach when I first saw it.\u201d
The break-in left an emotional mark on the business, with Ruffin explaining how things feel different moving forward.
\u201cEvery time the door opened after it happened, you\u2019re jumping. It\u2019s changed the way we think. We used to leave the door between the kitchen and the lobby open because we trusted our customers. Now, it feels different,\u201d Ruffin said.
The restaurant received support from the Streator community, rallying to help cover repair costs and allowing a quick turnaround.
Tonya Olson, a local friend, organized a fundraiser, while several other local businesses donated money.
\u201cPeople in Streator really stepped up when we needed it the most and we can\u2019t thank them enough,\u201d Allen said. \u201cIt made it possible for us to reopen as quickly as we did and keep going.\u201d
While the burglary has been a setback, the two emphasized they\u2019re determined to stay open while doing their best to prevent these situations in the future.
Since the break-in, the co-owners have updated their security, including a new camera system while putting stricter protocols in place to avoid another.
\u201cWe\u2019re doing things differently now. We\u2019ve thought about everything, from how we secure the money to making sure our staff is well prepared in case of another emergency,\u201d Allen said.
While an arrest in connection with the break-in has not officially been made, the Streator Police Department recently announced they have identified a suspect.
The man they identified as a suspect was arrested Jan. 7 in Pontiac on another charge. Streator police said there was an arrest warrant for the Dec. 18 burglary of a tavern.
Regardless, Allen and Ruffin expressed gratitude for the support they\u2019ve received and plan to continue serving customers with the same passion as before.
\u201cIt\u2019s going to take more than this to shut Dig Doug\u2019s down,\u201d Allen said, noting that their resilience has only made the staff and business stronger.
\u201cWe\u2019re just thankful for everyone in the community who\u2019s supported us through all this,\u201d Ruffin said. \u201cIt was a tough situation, but we\u2019re back.\u201d
The front door of Dig Doug\u2019s BBQ was shattered during a burglary on Dec. 29. The restaurant has since reopened. <\/span>(Photo Provided By Doug Allen)
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network<\/p>\n

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Dig Doug’s in Streator reopened after a recent burglary. (Derek Barichello)Dig Doug\u2019s BBQ in Streator recently reopened its doors after a break-in that left the restaurant\u2019s front door shattered and cash stolen.The burglary occurred on the morning of Dec. 29, before owner Doug Allen arrived at his restaurant to find the damage. \u201cAs soon as I turned into the parking<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t