CHICAGO (WGN-TV) — A restaurant opened in Wicker Park Monday aimed at curing Chicagoan’s munchies.
A couple of former stock traders have decided to capitalize on cannabis culture with the opening of “Cheba Hut,” located near the intersection of Damen and Division.
Chris Custer, 51, and Lance Frericks, 48, were business partners at the Chicago Board of Trade for two decades.
When the old “open outcry” trading pits gave way to the digital age, it was time to get out.
“You’re trading against computers,” said Custer. “They’re one step ahead of you as a human.”
They had the business skills and the personal chemistry to find a new venture and found a spark when Illinois legalized recreationally marijuana.
Cheba Hut is a chain with a loyal following of what you might call “weed eaters” in Colorado, Arizona, and Wisconsin — but this new location is a Chicago original.
“The green wave is flourishing through the United States, so it’s not taboo anymore,” said Frericks.
The walls are covered with many Chicago celebrities; like Bill Murray, Hugh Hefner, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, Dennis Rodman and Bob Rohrman.
The food is marijuana-themed, but there’s no cannabis in anything edible.
“We’re here to cure your munchies, not create them,” Custer said. “You gotta home out here hungry, ready to eat.”
South Sider Tyler David Jones came for lunch.
“It’s no weed in it, it’s just a little satire — they put the weed strand names, nug to a pinner and a blunt, cotton mouth cures,” said Jones. “I mean they got Kool-Aid, it don’t get no better than that, bro.”
Monday was the grand opening and they saw a steady flow of customers. If things go well, they could open two more restaurants in the city.