A Baton Rouge couple with more than 20 years of experience in the local food industry will open the state’s first Cheba Hut restaurant in Baton Rouge next year.
Meredith Beck-Wiggins and Tommy Wiggins were first introduced to the cannabis-themed toasted sandwich shop on a trip to Colorado nearly two decades ago. To be clear, the restaurant does not serve cannabis in any form, but the sandwiches and other menu items pay homage to the names given to marijuana strains and the cravings people might have if they’ve used the drug.
The restaurant will open early next year on Ben Hur Road, off Burbank Drive, and will employ between 20 to 30 people. Along with seating for roughly 50 inside, the 2,400-square-foot restaurant will also feature a patio with seating for 30 and an outside bar.
The couple, who currently own the rights to open three restaurants, hope to open eight to 10 eventually in south Louisiana, and are looking to Lafayette and Hammond as their next cities for expansion.
Meredith Beck-Wiggins says they know opening the restaurant in Louisiana is taking a risk. But she’s optimistic that attitudes toward marijuana—and marijuana-themed establishments—are warming up in the state.
“There’s progress being made on the medicinal front, and cannabis in general is becoming more common and the ‘green wave’ is going,” says Meredith Beck-Wiggins, “we’re just taking that leap to jump on our surfboards and ride the wave.”
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