The Silver Bean coffee shop on Thursday reported the theft of its mobile “Little Bean,” an iconic Airstream trailer, which has served as a coffee shop in Dolores and for special events.
It had a neon Silver Bean sign with a coffee cup on top, and was parked behind the main Silver Bean coffee shop on West Main Street in Cortez.
Owner Steven Marty reported the trailer stolen about 10 a.m. Thursday, said Assistant Police Chief Andy Brock.
Security video obtained from a neighboring business shows a truck hauling the trailer away at 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Cortez Police Department incident report.
The truck is thought to be a Chevy or Ford four-door truck.
A license plate number was not visible in the video, Brock said. Investigators are seeking video from other businesses in the area to see if the license plate and suspect could be identified.
According to a Silver Bean Facebook page post, someone saw the Silver Bean trailer being hauled past Arby’s about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, and someone else reported spotting it south of Cortez about 10 p.m..
“Keep your eyes out for it, and thank you for sharing the post,” the Facebook post states. “It holds sentimental value for our coffee shop.”
“The investigation is ongoing. Please contact Cortez Police at 565-8441 if you have any information,” Brock said. “The more we get the word out, the better.”
After the theft was reported, tips soon began to flow onto the shop’s Facebook page.
“My husband saw a yellow or gold truck pulling it south on south Broadway, past Arby’s shortly after 8 p.m. last night,” one tipster said Thursday.
The Silver Bean coffee shop, based at 410 W. Main St. in Cortez, is known among travelers as a “tastefully kitschy roadside attraction,” where its flock of yard ornament flamingos welcomes locals and visitors near the junction of U.S. 160/491. Lawn chairs and tables offer seating outside, and inside, a menu of pastries and breakfast food await.
It expanded operations to the Dolores River Campground in 2016 to serve campers and passers-by at the popular campground, 18680 Colorado 145. It was later moved to the shop’s lot on West Main Street.
In August 2020 a different Airstream trailer was stolen from the Dolores River Campground.
A social media blast by the campground owners and the well-connected Airstream community alerted a California dealer who had just purchased the camper from a dubious seller from Cortez.
A California vintage trailer dealer saw a Facebook post about the stolen Airstream from Dolores and contacted the owners that he had earlier purchased it in Durango. The camper was picked up by its owners.
Elizabeth Rogers, of Cortez, was charged with the alleged theft of trailer. The legal case is still pending.
