The granite siding that graced the front of the former Hot Dog Shop near the corner of Main and Jefferson streets was recently stolen.

The panels of granite were stolen from the rear lot of the Butler Brew Works brewery on Main Street, which now owns the granite and the lot of the former shop.

The brewery, which is still under construction in the former Eckerd Drugs building, is directly in front of where the Hot Dog Shop building once stood. It was demolished in 2012.

Travis Tuttle, one of the four owners of the brewery, said they realized the granite was missing Sunday and reported the theft to city police Monday.

There were about 14 square granite slabs, each measuring about 36 inches wide, stolen, along with numerous smaller pieces of trimming.

Tuttle said the owners felt the granite was safe outside because of its weight.

“It was so heavy we didn’t think anyone would be able to carry it out of there,” he said.

The brewery used its Facebook page to tell others in hopes that someone might have witnessed the theft.

“One person said she saw people taking the granite on the 21st, but did not think anything of it at the time,” Tuttle said.

The woman apparently witnessed three or four men in their early 30s moving the granite into a dark-colored truck about 8:30 a.m.

Police have no other leads on the suspects, nor do they have an estimated value of the granite. Tuttle was not certain of a value lost either, but he estimated the cost of each slab could be as much as $200.

Pat Collins, the director of the Butler Historical Society, said the granite also carried great sentimental value as it lined the outside of one of Butler’s most popular eating spots for years.

“It was an anchor downtown that we never thought would go away in our lifetimes,” she said of the shop. “And when you saw their granite, you knew where you were.”

Tuttle said the granite likely was going to be reused inside the brewery, possibly as a bar-top.

“It would be a shame if it is gone forever,” Tuttle said.

Collins, who said the granite had a distinct mauve color, said she liked the idea of reusing the granite inside the brewery as it was a memorable part of the city’s history.

“It was very important to the generations that grew up with the Hot Dog Shop,” she said. “It was part of our past.”

Tuttle hopes the brewery will open within the next year on Main Street, but could not put a timetable on the renovation process.

The owners have the outside of its building renovated, but they are working to get funds to finish the inside.