If you like your subs toasted, there’s just the place for you in Pacific Beach: Cheba Hut.
Open since November 2014, Cheba Hut at 4651 Mission Blvd., which started in Arizona in 1998, is a southwestern “transplant” that’s really taking root in San Diego.
Co-owners Ryan Snyder and Jordan Robinson talked about what they’re bringing to the table with their franchised sub shop.
“We specialize in all fresh ingredients, our distributors are local,” said Snyder.
“Every store is unique,” noted Robinson. “The only thing the same is the product. It tastes the same everywhere you go. You know you’re getting quality products and fresh ingredients.”
“All the stores have kind of a beach feel,” said Snyder. “Ours has a cool bamboo façade. It feels like you’re sitting in a little hut.”
“That’s what’s cool,” added Robinson. “Even though it’s a franchise, each store is individual. It looks nothing like the next one.”
The two owners revealed their favorite choices on the eatery’s extensive sandwich menu served at both lunch and dinner.
“The top seller, my favorite, is Cali Mist,” said Snyder. “It’s turkey, bacon, avocado, fresh jalapenos that we make in-house with pepper jack cheese, lightly toasted,” said Snyder.
The White Widow is Robinson’s favorite menu item.
“It’s chicken, bacon, ranch, mushrooms and pueblo cheese,” he said. “That sandwich is our most popular. The ranch we make from scratch.”
“All our sauces are proprietary to us, they’re all made from scratch,” added Snyder noting “All our bread is made specifically for us. All our meats and cheeses are sliced in-house.”
A San Diego native, Robinson went to school in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he met Snyder. Both were budding restaurateurs.
“I owned a coffee shop in Arizona, sold it, and had a little extra money,” said Snyder.
“I had a local, mom-and-pop sandwich shop,” said Robinson.
“We wanted to do something that fit us, something that we’d love,” said Snyder.
The appeal of Cheba Hut is universal, though the college crowd is a mainstay, with Snyder’s and Robinson’s two eateries at SDSU and PB serving students from all over.
“We cater to everybody,” said Robinson. “It’s all about the food. If the food wasn’t good — people wouldn’t come. We get children, elderly people, the military.”
“Basically, it’s just anyone who wants to get a sandwich,” said Snyder.
In Cheba Hut’s case, it’s toasted sandwiches.
Why toasting?
“There’s not a whole lot of places that do it,” said Robinson.
Which is why toasting has to be done right, noted Snyder.
“You’ve got to do it so that it’s not overly crispy to where it hurts your mouth,” he said. “With ours, just the top layer is crispy, but it’s still squishy on the bottom. It heats the meat and melts the cheese.”
“You get a nice contrast from crispy to hot with cold veggies on at the end,” added Robinson.
Are more Cheba Huts in San Diego’s future?
“We’re not trying to put one on every corner, that would take away from the coolness factor,” said Robinson.