In June 2021, Cheba Hut will open a new location in San Antonio, Texas, deep in the heart of a state that hasn’t yet even legalized medical marijuana. What’s more, it’s actually the third location in the Lone Star State, with the first two already opened and thriving in Austin and Dallas.

That success in Texas – another location is planned for Houston, as well – provides a pretty good indicator of how things are going for the restaurant, which doesn’t have cannabis-infused food, but is completely suffused in cannabis culture. For example, they’ve got an entire menu dedicated to serving food for the munchies.

Cheba Hut’s success stands as another sign of the continued acceptance and mainstreaming of marijuana.

How It Started for Cheba Hut

Cheba Hut founder Scott Jennings created the restaurant in 1998 in Tempe, Arizona, near the campus where he attended college, Arizona State University. He had made the decision to “showcase the harmony between great tasting food and … well, a very specific counter-culture,” according to the Cheba Hut website.

The restaurant does not infuse its food with cannabis such as you’ll find in the growing market for cannabis edibles. But Cheba Hut offers 30 toasted subs with names such as Jamaican Red, Thai Stick, Chronic and Dank. They use hand rolled, Parisian bread that comes in white, whole wheat and garlic herb.

Cheba Hut also offers a munchies menu that includes French Onion Soup, Bowl O’ Balls (meatballs with veggies, cheese and a choice of BBQ, marinara, teriyaki or Greek sauce), pretzel nuggets, garlic cheese bread and “Loaded No Chos.” That last one is a munchies delight that features melted cheddar cheese, jalapeño, onion, black olive and hot sauce on a bed of Nacho Cheese Doritos with ranch dressing drizzled on top.

The food, needless to say, is the main driver behind Cheba Hut’s expansion. As the site notes: “What really sets Cheba Hut apart, though, can only be experienced in our shops. We combine homegrown food with real people in a relaxed environment.”

How It’s Going for Cheba Hut

Cheba Hut is now headquartered in Colorado and has more than 40 locations in franchises across 14 states. Just in case you live in one, here’s the list: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin.

In addition to the San Antonio location, Cheba Hut has opened locations in the past year in Chicago, Orlando, Colorado Springs and Atlanta. Plans also call for opening a Cheba Hut at Sawyer Yards in Houston, a creative community just north of downtown.

As cannabis-themed restaurants go, it’s a huge success story that the pandemic could not derail. It’s also another example of the growing popularity of cannabis-themed culture.