Cheba Hut Brings Toasted Subs Back to Boulder, Along With a New Mural

Cheba Hut officially returned to Boulder late last year, and it did so with more than just toasted subs and irreverent energy. After a multi-year hiatus, the cannabis-themed sandwich shop took over the Lazy Dog space on Pearl Street, bringing with it a vibrant new mural, a sprawling patio and the stoner soul that longtime fans remember from the brand's original fifteen-year run on the Hill.

While the food remains familiar, the visual identity of each Cheba Hut is anything but ordinary. Each shop features a one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life mural that reflects the company's deep commitment to art, music and local culture. That individuality is a serious point of pride, and is now documented in 25 Years of Cheba Hut Murals, a new lookbook that offers a glimpse into the brand's creative legacy, one hand-painted wall at a time.

At the heart of this legacy is the mural program, a defining feature of every Cheba Hut location. "Murals are a big part of our history. Music and art and Cheba Hut go hand in hand. The murals are a big part of our new store opening process. They are a focal point and a talking point," says Seth Larsen, the company's chief relationship officer. "We don't use wallpaper. These are not fake murals that are created on a computer and shipped everywhere. Every mural is hand-painted, and every single one is unique to the market. That's been our philosophy from the beginning."
Larsen, who is celebrating his twentieth year with the brand, has had a front-row seat to Cheba Hut's evolution from a single shop in Tempe, Arizona, to a multi-state franchise with a distinct personality rooted in music, art and cannabis counterculture. "The murals typically tell a story, tap into local lore or history," says Larsen. "I think it's cool because it ties the artist to the store and brings in that local connection. Even though we are a multi-unit restaurant brand, I think we operate like an independent restaurant — and have for a lot of years. The mural program is a big part of that."

The success of the mural program stems from the collaborative process between store owners and the artists who create the works, many of whom are given wide creative latitude so long as they can strike a balance between local storytelling and Cheba Hut's laidback vibe. That balance is part of what makes the program so compelling.

"I love artists, but they can be tough to wrangle in," Larsen admits. "You want to get what you want without bastardizing their style. You want to give them the freedom to do what they do, but also make sure it works in the space and ties into what Cheba Hut is about. Over the years, we've built a good process for making them happen. It's a collaboration."

While Denver-based artist Josh Finley has created murals for many locations, Larsen encourages each shop to work with local artists whenever possible. "Josh is fantastic, but he doesn't necessarily have roots in, you know, Texas or wherever it might be," Larsen notes. "So using a local artist is key, and just making sure that we don't bastardize that style."

The new Boulder mural, painted by Finley, includes nods to the area's natural beauty and cultural legacy, including a playful depiction of buffalo roaming. And this gets to the impetus behind the recently created lookbook, a project born from a desire to capture the history of the art that has defined the brand for more than two decades. The book is a full-color celebration of more than forty murals, each offering a snapshot of a specific story, artist and moment in Cheba Hut's history. "This book helps tell the story of art and food and what we do, and I think it's really important. And it gives a nod to the artists who have helped create it all," says Larsen.

The uniqueness of each mural is what makes Cheba Hut's art program so personal to Larsen. In fact, he claims he can identify every shop in the country just by looking at its mural — that's how distinct they are. "On the surface, it's an awesome, beautiful art piece, and if you look a little deeper, you can usually find a little something in there, too," he says.
Some are cheeky, filled with visual Easter eggs like bottles of gin and Kool-Aid (references to hip-hop and to Cheba Hut's signature drinks), or nods to cannabis culture. As for Larsen's favorite mural, he is quick to admit that two make the cut: "The Aurora location, it's got the old-school hip-hop vibes to it and a bunch of nods to the hip-hop of the '80s and early '90s ... that was a big part of my life growing up. I also really like our Johnstown location. There's nothing really particular about Johnstown, so the mural has all of the famous Johns, like Johnny Rotten, John Candy and so on."

No matter which Cheba Hut you visit next for a toasted sub, take a moment to really look at the art. It is more than decoration; it is the soul of the shop. "People still want to go out. They want to engage with restaurants. They want to go to cool places. They want to be surrounded by art and music," Larsen says.

"So we are going to continue to do that. We are going to build fun restaurants that people want to come visit." 

Cheba Hut's Boulder location is at 1346 Pearl Street, Suite 120, and is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Find more information at chebahut.com.