--- title: "San Diego Cheba Hut Franchise Owners Win Liquor License Lottery, Look to Triple Sales" url: https://burnaze.com/article/8df7fc40-4aea-4791-9ca1-fa3003223085 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/san-diego-cheba-hut-franchise-owners-win-liquor-license-lottery-look-to-triple-sales-2707944 category: "Specialty retail" industry: "Retail" segment: "Specialty retail" published: 2018-09-25T18:13:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T01:47:02.741Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/372929c59eb0a7e5fa24a119e3ba538d1098.jpg --- # San Diego Cheba Hut Franchise Owners Win Liquor License Lottery, Look to Triple Sales **TL;DR:** Cheba Hut franchise owners Jordan Robinson and Ryan Snyder in San Diego won a liquor license lottery and plan to triple sales with a full bar renovation. The pair has already seen success with their two current locations, doubling annual sales to $850,000 in one year. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-09-25. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/san-diego-cheba-hut-franchise-owners-win-liquor-license-lottery-look-to-triple-sales-2707944).* ## Story With two current locations in San Diego, over 20 locations across the U.S. and a goal of opening 15 additional locations in Southern California, the Cheba Hut’s unique approach to sandwich creation has caught the attention of foodies in six different states. Much of this success is thanks franchisees like Jordan Robinson and Ryan Snyder who are committed to the brand’s mission -- providing great service and even better food. Robinson first learned of Cheba Hut when he was a student at Arizona State University (ASU). The sub shop was very popular among students and quickly become a staple on campus. When he returned home to San Diego, he realized the local Cheba Hut wasn’t maximizing it’s potential in the Golden State. “I was surprised to see the San Diego location wasn’t seeing the same success with students and faculty that ASU had seen, so we signed on to take over ownership in order to try and turn the location around,” Robinson said. Corporate was thrilled to hear from Robinson and Snyder. “We are passionate about finding the right franchisees to join our team. Not just anyone can become a part of the Cheba Hut family. Jordan and Ryan truly understand what makes Cheba Hut so special and when they reached out, we knew they would be the perfect face for the brand in Southern California,” shared Cheba Hut Founder Scott Jennings. Under the pair’s leadership, the shop nearly doubled its annual sales in just one year -- watching revenue jump from $450,000 dollars to $850,000 dollars. Part of the success was due to their commitment to running more than a restaurant business, they were focused on creating an authentic experience for customers. They began to create different events in order to entice more students in-store such as “kill-the-keg” nights and other charity events. Their creativity was able to increase foot traffic and introduce new foodies to the brand's delicious subs. Now that the Robinson and Snyder made a name for Cheba Hut in their community, they are preparing to unveil the shop’s biggest investment yet -- a full bar renovation. In California, a liquor license is only awarded to bars and venues that win the liquor license lottery. For $10,000 dollars, a restaurant or bar can put their name in the lottery for a chance to win the $100,000-dollar liquor license. In San Diego, that opportunity only comes every four years. Luck was on their side when Robinson and Snyder decided they wanted to try for a full liquor bar, instead of just serving beer on tap. “Over 300 people applied and only 25 were selected,” Robinson said. “We put in two bids totaling $20,000 dollars and got lucky.” The pair designed a new bar that was built from the ground up, they also added an entirely new lobby and an addition 20 seats to the restaurant. In total, the renovation cost upwards of $30,000 dollars, but that’s a fraction of what Robinson expects to see in return sales. “We will be attracting an entirely new client with the liquor,” Robinson said. “I think we could triple what we are making right now with just the beer.” The pair hopes the bar will be fully operational by the beginning of October. Robinson plans to launch the bar in typical Cheba Hut fashion -- with a back-to-school party for local students. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - franchise expansion (topic) - Retail (sector) - sales growth (topic) - San Diego (location) - Cheba Hut (company) - Scott Jennings (person) - restaurant renovation (topic) - Arizona State University (location) - liquor license (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/san-diego-cheba-hut-franchise-owners-win-liquor-license-lottery-look-to-triple-sales-2707944). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/8df7fc40-4aea-4791-9ca1-fa3003223085).