Cheba Hut hits 50-unit milestone

Cheba Hut, a cannabis-themed sandwich brand, has hit its 50-unit milestone with the opening of restaurants in Texas and in Washington, the first in the latter’s state.

The Washington franchisee is already set to open a second store in the state, and Cheba Hut CEO Marc Torres expects another four launches by year’s end, according to a press release.

“We are in a fantastic position for widespread growth,” Torres said in the release. “We have the infrastructure, operational support and brand awareness to get new franchise owners up and running faster than ever before. We never want to grow for growth’s sake alone, and right now, the demand is there, and we’re prepared to meet it.”

Cheba Hut’s growth isn’t limited to development efforts as the brand continues to find increased sales across its franchise system.

“In 2020 and 2021, our team did an incredible job rolling with an unpredictable landscape in the restaurant industry, and we kept sales up primarily through digital efforts. This year, as dine-in service picked up, we saw an incredible surge,” Torres said in the release. “Each of our restaurants features a full bar, which has been a great way of ensuring that Cheba Hut is known not only as a great place to grab a sandwich but also as a community hangout spot and event venue. As a result, we’ve seen store-level sales continue to increase.”

Next year will mark Cheba Hut’s 25th anniversary. The brand has 28 franchise partners and plans to cap that number at 40.

“Every one of our stores is different,” Torres said in the release. “We want each store to authentically represent its community and offer something unique. That’s true at 50 stores and will be true at 100. So as we continue to grow, we are looking for passionate franchise owners who want to leverage our operational expertise and resources to create something special and unique. That’s a rare opportunity in the franchise world, and we’re excited to partner with entrepreneurs who see the value in that opportunity.”