The thieves had pulled a white van up to the back of the snazzy Chestnut Street restaurant Buddakan.
Were they stealing cash, or the giant golden Buddha? A stash of the popular “dip sum” doughnuts?
Nope. They were after the used cooking oil.
With biodiesel production increasing and prices for feedstocks – including used cooking oil – soaring, a waste product that restaurants once paid to get rid of is now a commodity targeted by thieves.