Gainesville will soon have another restaurant for residents to satisfy their cravings with a sandwich shop that takes munchies to a whole new level.
Cheba Hut, a cannabis-themed sandwich shop, features subs named after strains of marijuana, sides called “munchies,” and drinks referred to as “cottonmouth cures,” after dry mouth side effect from smoking marijuana.
The cannabis-themed franchise plans to open two locations in Gainesville in 2020. It is interested in the intersection of West University Avenue and Northwest 13th Street, said Seth Larsen, chief relationship officer.
“The demographics are good, the city is good. I feel like there’s room for a concept like ours.” Larsen said. “There’s no doubt about it that we love campus locations and great younger-ish cities that the university kind of creates.”
Cheba Hut is looking to expand and has deals for locations in Orlando and St. Augustine. It will open five new shops across the country by the end of the year, Larsen said
The sandwich shop is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado, and was founded by Scott Jennings in 1998. The franchise has 25 locations operating in seven states, primarily in the West Coast United States.
Despite its theme, Cheba Hut is inclusive and welcomes any kind of customer, Larsen said.
“There is an underlying theme to what we do, it’s not what defines us.” Larsen said. “There’s plenty of people that probably come into a Cheba Hut and have no idea that that’s the case. They just know that they come in and get really good food and solid service, and it’s not super expensive. And we’re cool with that.”
Sarwaan Ansari, a 20-year-old UF computer science senior, said he would visit the sandwich shop if a location opened in Gainesville.
“The theme seems like a good idea since I don’t know any restaurant with that type of theme,” said Ansari.
- Magic Mushroom - a veggie sub with portabella mushrooms, pepper jack, teriyaki glaze, green peppers and pineapples
- Kush - one of their meat subs with bacon, mayo, lettuce, extra tomatoes, and provolone
- Dank - meat sub with marinara, salami, pepperoni and provolone
- Loaded Not'chos - melted cheddar, jalapenos, red onion, and black olives on a bed of Nacho Cheese Doritos with Ranch on top
