Article from Salish Current
Bellingham sandwich shop’s weekly events spark a hot spot, bringing together friends and the community.
Music plays in the background as sandwiches and drinks are slung by the kitchen staff. Voices overlap these sounds as teams prepare to face off in trivia. With different events four nights a week, Cheba Hut, a weed-themed sandwich shop in downtown Bellingham, is becoming a popular hangout spot. And Wednesday nights at Cheba Hut are for trivia.
Cheba Hut opened its doors in 2022. Max Engerman, the general manager, joined his parents in starting the location. For him, it was a new job direction and an adventure.
The marijuana-themed sandwich franchise started in 1998 in Arizona. None of the Cheba Hut products have marijuana in them, but the names of their sandwiches are based on names of marijuana strains, such as “white widow” and “Kali mist.” Cheba Hut was created to be the local spot to go for munchies, but is open for everyone to come and enjoy a good sandwich, according to Engerman.
Weekly events are one way that Cheba Hut embraces the community. Engerman heard through the “Cheba-verse” of other stores holding events, and started Monday game nights where customers could come to play games like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Shortly after, Wednesday trivia nights were added and recently bingo Tuesdays began.
These three events are free to play and include prizes such as food and coupons. But for the employees and customers, it’s not only about winning, it’s about community.
“Seeing people have fun and just kind of open up and hearing people laugh throughout the shop is definitely what I like about it the most,” Engerman said.
Trivia is their biggest event, sometimes with 50 people, according to bartender Don Scarmuzzi. One of his favorite parts about event nights is meeting new people and seeing regulars coming in to play.
Community bonds
One of the reasons Trinity Emley comes to play most Wednesdays is because of Scarmuzzi and the welcoming and friendly environment of the restaurant.
Emley started going to Cheba Hut for the sandwiches and found the bar in a sandwich shop to be unique. After going in a few times, she noticed the sign for trivia nights.
Now, Emley and her roommate have made Wednesdays their night. Whether it ends with pool or karaoke, the night always starts at Cheba Hut trivia.
One of her favorite memories at Cheba Hut was when one of the employees was leaving. The staff set up a surprise during their Shazam round of trivia where teams have to guess the theme of the songs. The theme that week was “going away.”
The employees also set up an ice cream sundae bar for their departing coworker and opened it up to any of the customers.
“It was very heartwarming and sad, but it felt like a very big sense of community,” Emley said.
Cheba Hut is a place that attracts people from all walks of life. According to Scarmuzzi customers will come in to get a sandwich or a drink and stumble upon an event night. Often, they will join in or come back the following week to participate.
The best part about trivia nights for Scarmuzzi is when everyone has to put their phones away to ensure they don’t cheat. He says it forces people to engage and talk with each other.
Each year, new people come in and out of Bellingham for college or work and each year Scarmuzzi continues to introduce people to one another.
“Whether people are there for half an hour or two and a half hours, we’re glad to be there for everyone,” Scarmuzzi said. “It’s a place to make friends.”
— By Margaret Baumgartner