Cheba Hut's Colfax Sandwich Shop Set to Start Toasting Tomorrow

A couple of days of construction can make all the difference between a little cluttered chaos and a functioning restaurant. The new Cheba Hut on Colfax Avenue opens tomorrow with a full liquor license in addition to owner Scott Jennings's list of craveable sandwiches and other munchies. Workers were putting finishing touches on an expansive outdoor patio under a locust tree and the setup was nearly complete inside, too; finishing touches still in progress included stocking the bar, hanging menu signs, adjusting a few lights and waiting for graffiti artist Gamma Acosta to put the finishing touches on a spray-painted mural of Denver as a surf-side city. But everything will be ready to go for the first sandwiches to roll out of the toasters tomorrow.

The goal was originally to be up and running in plenty of time for this weekend's 4/20 crowds that will descend on Civic Center Park and Capitol Hill, and Cheba Hut will make it just under the wire, although Jennings is pushing official grand opening celebrations to May, when he'll plan something "grand and silly." 

In addition to the standard fast-casual counter service, guests will also be able to grab a seat at the bar, or at one of the bar tables, and get full bar service without having to jump up and pay at the counter for every drink. The new Cheba Hut, which was once the Capitol Hill Market convenience store — with what Jennings says was probably the last working payphone in the city — will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, offering a perfect late-night viewing spot for all the colorful action on Colfax.