Cheba Hut Is Breaking Into the Chicago Market With Two Sets of Franchisees for a Total of Six Shops

What do two Chicago Board of Trade members and a veteran restaurant owner in the restaurant space have in common? A passion for Cheba Hut and impeccable timing, that’s what.

Lance Frericks and Chris Custer, longtime friends who met on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, and Brian O’Kelly, a seasoned franchisee with a background in IT, have recently signed on to introduce Cheba Hut to Chicago for the first time. Both sets franchisees signed on for three-unit deals, bringing a total of six shops to the market initially, with plenty of room to grow.

Breaking into the Chicago market is a huge development milestone for the marijuana-themed and Arizona-originated sandwich shop, whose previous Midwest representation consisted of a single shop in Madison, Wisconsin. In particular, for Cheba Hut Chief Relationship Officer and area native Seth Larsen, Cheba Hut coming to Chicago represents a long-term goal achieved. “This is something I’ve personally been trying to make happen for a long time, and our new franchise partners are the perfect ones for the job,” he said.

Cheba Hut and Chicago are a match made in heaven thanks to the city’s passion for food and laid-back, fun-loving culture.

Custer and Frericks were first introduced to the brand when they were looking into investing in a rival sandwich concept. Custer had long been interested in opening a restaurant but didn’t feel passionate about any of the options available to him—until he found Cheba Hut.

“I looked into the brand and just fell in love with the concept,” Custer said. “The numbers looked super compelling and I thought there was a lot of opportunity for the brand in our city––it was the laid-back theme and vibe that really caught my eye.”

Frericks was also intrigued by Cheba Hut’s cannabis theme and thought that investing in the brand was a no-brainer with the Green Wave currently sweeping the nation. “Marijuana will be legal in Illinois come January and CBD is one of the biggest things on the market right now, so I think Cheba Hut and its overall theme coming to Chicago couldn’t be better timed,” said Frericks.

For O’Kelly, a restaurant pro with franchise experience in the Chicago area, the opportunity to bring Cheba Hut to the area where he’s spent his entire life was particularly alluring due to the brand’s delicious food and unique adult beverage offering.

“Cheba Hut’s tongue-in-cheek cannabis concept might not be for everyone, but anyone who gives the food a try will keep coming back,” said O’Kelly, who was introduced to the brand during his work with a consulting company headquartered in Phoenix. “Not only is Cheba Hut the best toasted sub concept around—there’s not another fast casual place that has a full-service bar, which is a differentiator I’m particularly excited about.”

O’Kelly is looking forward to serving the Chicago community as a whole and is pursuing real estate opportunities across the city’s north side, with a particular focus on DePaul University, an area aligned with Cheba Hut’s well-documented success in college markets over the years. Custer and Frericks, on the other hand, are targeting Chicago’s Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods for their shops. Both franchisees are hoping to have their first locations locked down before the end of the year with plans to open in early 2020.

As far as what they’re most excited about when it comes to introducing the brand to Chicago, all are looking forward to disrupting the conventional and making their mark on the Chicago food scene.

“This place will make you laugh with its fun-loving, tongue-in-cheek concept. Once you eat the food, you realize there’s something awesome here––it’s not some gimmick,” O’Kelly said.

Frericks agreed.

“It’s got a different vibe, a different taste and it’s not dull or bland,” he said. “I think Chris and I have had every sandwich they make—there are so many options to choose from, which I think appeals to Chicagoans quite well.”