Stolen Sign Returned to Beloved Bozeman Business After 20 Years

A sign that was stolen during a drunken night of debauchery 20 years ago has been returned to a local business in Bozeman.

Most people that live in Bozeman are familiar with the Pickle Barrel. The popular sandwich shop has been a staple in the area for decades. It's a place where you're guaranteed to leave with a full stomach every time you stop by.

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For some time, there was a Pickle Barrel location downtown, but today, only one location remains in Bozeman. The Pickle Barrel at 809 W. College St. is a local landmark. Personally, I have eaten there too many times to count.

On Monday morning, when employees showed up to open up shop, they noticed a sign in front of the store with a letter attached. The sign went missing 20 years ago and hadn't been seen since. It was undamaged and still in its original condition.

Here's what Pickle Barrel said about it on Facebook;

We arrived today to a note attached to our old sign, still in its original condition. To whoever you are, thank you for returning it!

The letter attached to the sign contained details from the night it was stolen. A few kids decided to pull a prank following a night of drinking downtown. The sign thieves intended to return the sign shortly after taking it, but that never happened. Instead, the sign spent years inside of a garden shed in Bozeman. The sign is an iconic piece of Bozeman's history and a local treasure.

Pickle Barrel posted the letter that was attached to the sign on Facebook. The signature at the end of the letter read "Two middle-aged dudes who made a drunken mistake a long time ago."