Marijuana Themed Sub Franchise Reaches Beyond Stoner Clientele

Rewind five years and Cheba Hut, a marijuana-themed sandwich shop famously curing the munchies since 1998, was brand new to the UW Madison campus, a fresh new brand of sandwiches for college kids to devour.

It was the second location to open in the Midwest, a great test market for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. David Timmons bought the franchise shortly after it opened in 2014.

“I’ve been with the brand since 2010,” Timmons said. “I joined the brand because I found it a fun, growing brand that had a lot of potential.”

Franchise growth

Cheba Hut has 21 existing franchise locations in Oregon, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Wisconsin.

Many of the brand’s restaurants, like Cheba San Diego and Cheba Hut Tempe, are located in close proximity to college campuses, drawing attention to the college-aged customer looking for good eats and a lunchtime cure for a hangover.

The brand’s catchy marijuana-theme features “blunt size sandwiches,” a full bar with “cotton-mouth cures,” and a variety of desserts coined on the menu as “munchies.”

While the theme has always had appeal amongst 20 somethings and those familiar with the stoner culture, the brand is proving in the Midwest, it’s attracting more than just the traditional clientele.

Midwest expansion

Cheba Hut Madison saw a nearly 19 percent increase in sales from the start of 2017 to the start of 2018, a huge indication that not only university students, but also locals are enjoying the brands mouthwatering “toasted” subs and full bar offerings.

With the largest year to year growth in sales since opening Owner David Timmons believes it’s time to open a second location outside of the UW Campus.

“We are hard-working people that are open-minded, and if customers have the same vision that we do, they come for the food and the atmosphere, not the marijuana-theme,” Timmons said.

“It's more about the freedom of speech and the way we welcome people from all walks of life than what’s on the walls.”

Leveraging from the success that the Madison location is seeing, the brand has also been eyeing expansion in Milwaukee, seeing the city’s popular craft beer scene, and close proximity to several colleges as another great expansion opportunity.

“A lot of people go to school in Madison and make their way back to Milwaukee,” Timmons said.

The company has a goal of opening up four to six more locations in Wisconsin, three to four of them in Milwaukee, and one to two more in Madison.

With just the one location so far in Wisconsin, Timmons thinks the Wisconsin expansion will be key to opening restaurants throughout the Midwest region. The company is also currently seeking franchisees for territories in Chicago, Michigan, and Ohio.

“It’s an exciting time for Cheba Hut. We are branching into unchartered territories, and our food is making a lasting impression,” Timmons said.