1851

When Dorian Lenz Jr. was first introduced to the <a href="https://franchise.chebahut.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=cheba-huts-first-franchisees-are-still-growing-with-the-brand-2708831" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cheba Hut</a> brand as a teenager, he had no idea he&rsquo;d be joining the counterculture on the business side in the future. Now part of a father-son team operating six <a href="https://1851franchise.com/chebahut" target="_blank">Cheba Hut</a> locations across Arizona, Lenz Jr.&rsquo;s growth along with the brand has opened the door for continued expansion throughout the state where Cheba Hut was born.

It was 2004 and Lenz Jr., DJ, was living in San Diego when his father consulted him about opening a Cheba Hut franchise. Dorian Lenz Sr., a nurse who dabbled in entrepreneurial endeavors here and there, wanted to discuss the franchise opportunity with his son due to his background in finance.

&ldquo;My dad fell in love with what [Cheba Hut founder] Scott Jennings was trying to create and how much fun the concept was,&rdquo; DJ said. &ldquo;When he came on board, the brand&#39;s franchising efforts really took off.&rdquo;

Lenz Sr. recognized the popularity Cheba Hut was experiencing at its flagship Tempe location and thanks to that customer viability and the advice of his son, Lenz Sr. and his business partner, Josh Willett, signed on to open the brand&rsquo;s first franchised location in Tucson. Fourteen years later, nothing and everything has changed - Lenz Sr. and Willett recruited DJ away from his job as a stockbroker to join their team in a hybrid finance-marketing role.

&ldquo;At the beginning, it was just Scott and my father so they formed a strong relationship,&rdquo; DJ said. &ldquo;There wasn&rsquo;t a lot of structure initially. But over the years, we&#39;ve grown right along with the brand. We have invested in and learned from one another, which has made us both really successful.&rdquo;

As Cheba Hut has established its corporate presence and built out its support staff, and grown its brand to 25 locations in seven states, the brand&rsquo;s only Arizona franchisees have expanded their footprint with no plans of slowing down. Lenz Sr., DJ and Willett currently operate stores in the cities of Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Ahwatukee, Tempe and Tucson and are exploring development in a number of other cities across the Grand Canyon State.

&ldquo;The exciting thing about Cheba Hut&rsquo;s growth is that the brand used to be limited to opening shop in college towns and fighting hard for years to make it successful, and now we are starting to see explosive growth in the markets we&rsquo;re in,&rdquo; DJ said.

DJ explained that in Arizona cities like Phoenix, Cheba Hut is a well-known concept. The brand&rsquo;s presence in the state since the 1990s has made it particularly local. He noted the Ahwatukee location specifically has been interesting to watch develop because it was he and his partners&rsquo; first foray into a suburban market with the brand. &ldquo;Its gone over extremely well, so we&#39;re starting to explore what is possible in similar markets,&rdquo; DJ noted.

As far as what Cheba Hut&rsquo;s strong brand awareness means for his team&rsquo;s development efforts across the state, DJ said, &ldquo;A day doesn&#39;t go by where I&rsquo;m wearing a Cheba Hut shirt and I don&rsquo;t get called out by people who recognize the brand. Banks, malls, stoplights, you name it. People love Cheba Hut and it&rsquo;s hard not to be really excited about being a part of it.&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Cheba Hut’s First Franchisees are Still Growing With the Brand

1851 Franchise

Fourteen years later, this father-son franchisee team is still capitalizing on Arizona’s appetite for Cheba Hut. 

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

cheba-huts-first-franchisees-are-still-growing-with-the-brand

Layne's Chicken Fingers

image of laynes chicken finger restaurant with 4 hands holding cups in the air to celebrate 

 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Crosses Mid-Year Mark With 11 New Restaurants Opened, Including the First Time the Brand has Seen Two Openings on the Same Day on July 14

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-2025

HomeTeam Inspection Service

image of an employee from home team checking an outlet with an ipad

HomeTeam Inspection Service Franchise Owners Diversify Income With Multi-Service Model

hometeam-inspection-service-revenue-streams

Right at Home

image of jennifer selden right at home franchisee for a webinar with nick powills

Right at Home Franchise Owner Jennifer Selden To Share Franchise Journey, Sparked by Personal Care Experiences

jennifer-selden-right-at-home-franchise-journey-webinar

Paris Baguette Canada

image of a paris baguette bakery cafe latte with delicious food, croissants, and pastries

What Paris Baguette Franchisees Have To Say About Their Experiences

paris-baguette-franchise-canada-eric-chang

image of right at home franchisee gregory brewer for a webinar with nick powills

Gregory Brewer To Share 20-Year Franchise Journey With Right at Home in Upcoming Webinar

gregory-brewer-right-at-home-franchise-winston-salem-webinar

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

AI Is Reshaping Franchising: $100 Billion Valuations and Hyper-Localized Advertising

ai-is-reshaping-franchising-100-billion-valuations-and-hyper-localized-advertising

Mega Franchisee Sizzling Platter Acquired by Bain Capital

mega-franchisee-sizzling-platter-acquired-by-bain-capital

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Blending Tech, Hospitality and Health Care: How Three Women From Different Worlds Came Together to Build a Paris Baguette Franchise

paris-baguette-franchise-flower-mound-texas

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Sola Salons Franchisee Grows Salon Freedom Into a Multi-State Powerhouse 

sola-salons-franchisee-grows-salon-freedom-into-a-multi-state-powerhouse

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

Cheba Hut’s First Franchisees are Still Growing With the Brand

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS