Cheba Run: A Cross Country Journey Fueled by Sub Sandwiches

Contestants race to “toasted sub” shops across the nation in an effort to win prizes.

Published on November 10, 2017

There are few things more satisfying than something delicious when you’re really stoned. Imagine a place where all the entrees are named after your favorite cannabis strain, where happy hour is from 4:20 to 7:10. Cheba Hut has been celebrating cannabis culture with great food and vibes since 1998. Hailing from Tempe, Arizona there are currently over 20 Cheba Huts across six states. This past summer the “toasted sub” concept proposed a race, encouraging guests to participate in what they called the Cheba Run.

The stipulations were: visit all 20 locations, document the journey on social media and create a final video of the trip. Contestants would be judged on time elapsed as well as the final video. Prizes included free sandwiches for a year, a catered VIP party, a VW Bus and even weed for those in legal states. Participating teams varied from parents and their children, to band mates and best friends. All of us with a common goal: to have an amazing time traveling the country and maybe win.

My team started its journey in Arizona, leaving the house with two GoPros mounted to the car taking videos and time lapses. Our first two stops were Tempe and Glendale, with a pit stop at Swell Farmacy and Best Buy to replace a GoPro we lost on the way. We just missed a thunderstorm on the way out of Phoenix, and drove through the night to San Diego. Cheba Huts are almost exclusively in college towns. The affordable prices, relaxed atmosphere and creative menu keep the kids coming back for more.

We finished up in California and drove to Las Vegas and flew to Eugene for lunch and back the same day. While in Eugene I made my first recreational purchase! PAX Era pods from Eugene OG by Oregrown and EVOLVD. After a quick hike, a long delay at the airport and a night of sleep we were on the road to Colorado. The drive through Utah was incredible; I don’t think I would have ever had the opportunity to see that state had it not been for this trip.

There are nine Cheba Huts in Colorado. It was the longest stay of our trip and my first time in the state. Driving in the Rockies was breathtaking, I can’t believe how little I’ve seen sometimes. Each location throughout the trip had a very similar feel but was also very unique to the area. Murals, memorabilia of ’70s rock music and college sports decorated each restaurant. Some locations served beer while others had a full bar complete with original mixed drinks on tap. The Greeley location actually had a custom brewed Cheba Gold beer that you can’t find anywhere else. Cheba Hut employees throughout Colorado were spotted wearing custom Grassroots hats and we wanted one so bad, we even went to their storefront to see if we could find one. We didn’t.

After Colorado we continued through to New Mexico, stopping in Albuquerque for lunch. Every location had a “secret stash” of unique sandwiches specific to that store. These options definitely helped make eating that many sandwiches possible. “Munchies” on the menu included things like cereal bars, brownies, hummus and pretzel bites. Oh, if only they were medicated. I spent a lot of the road trip hitting a vape pen or enjoying some edibles, so I was for sure ready to eat at each stop.

We took a three day break at home in Tucson, while enjoying a late dinner at the local Cheba one night. At this point, we only had three stops left. We finished up the two left in Arizona and flew out to Wisconsin the next day. We had plans to visit Chicago anyway, so we flew in to O’Hare and drove into Madison from there. Finishing the trip left us feeling with such a sense of accomplishment. The experience overall was incredible. I met so many years old friends I’ve only known online, seen landscapes I never thought I would have. And to think, it was all because of a sandwich. Well, maybe not just a sandwich.