05/15/2026
Hey Chicago what do you Say! We ALL are going to win Today! Let’s celebrate our 15 year anniversary together!
As the owner and founder of Cheesie’s, I wanted to take the time to write a personal letter from me to all of you Cheesie fans out there who have show us so much love over the years! From our OG’s like Travis “The Mac” Jones to the new fans we hope to meet today. It’s you all that keep us striving to be better every day!
I’m sitting here thinking about the last 15 years and honestly my head is just spinning. This has been the greatest thing that I’ve ever been a part of in my life, but the truth is, it was never about me. It was about us. It was about the friendships made, the memories created, and the way this place has changed lives in so many different ways. I still can’t believe the crazy cult following this place has become and how fast it happened! We opened the doors on a whim without even taste testing the menu and you all showed up!!!
I wanted to keep it real here. I love this industry more than anything else in the world because our job every day is simple: make people laugh, make a new friend, and put a smile on someone’s face while serving you all the best damn grilled cheese on the planet! Our job is to give you the night out you deserve and make it better than you ever thought it could be. I’ve always believed that if you do the right thing and take care of people, the world has your back. We aren't perfect, we’ve f***ed up from time to time, but we’ve always led by just being real and honest.
When we opened the doors originally on May 12th of 2011, I had $151 left in credit spread across seven different cards and not a penny left to my name. That was it… all or nothing! I worked 120 hours a week for those first three months while my brother David worked as the cashier and personality on the weekends after his full time day job. Then we had our original crew of Jamie, Michael, Dejan, Martin, Jay, Blair, Undra, Big Will, and Mimi all willing to do whatever to it took to help make this dream become a reality while Pam was there to capture every moment she could! Didn’t matter if it were doubles or clopens… it was all about that Chzlyf! I remember being there for 38 hours straight for our first Pride. I’d be at the grill at 4am apologizing to people for a 30-minute wait, and you all would just look at us and say, "No no, thank you for doing this." That blew my mind how gracious our guests could be!
This place became a home for all of us misfits who couldn't do the 9-to-5. We showed up for each other, not just a paycheck. From seeing our first hire Jamie grow into a GM, to people like Big Will being there for anyone who needed to feel safe as well as our guy Undra may he rest in peace… to our cooks getting into the clubs like Underground just because they worked at Cheesie’s. I remember Jenna Rae our startender having a customer buy her groceries at Jewel just because he loved Cheesie’s so much! There’s thousands of other stories created from the times we had together and you all made us feel like Rockstars!
Whether you were a theater student, a sports fan, a musician, party girl, or part of our LGBTQ+ community, everyone was welcome. Our rule was always simple: everyone is welcome no matter who you are or where you came from, just don't be an a$$hole! You all made this place magical! It was always about the community and bringing people together. Didn’t matter where you came from, the troubles you’ve had… the moment you walked through our doors you’ve always had a friend in us. You want to party then let’s go!!! You need a friend to hear about your day we’ve got you and we are going to introduce you to the person sitting a couple seats down so let’s strike up a conversation!
I’m so humbled by what this has become. Times are tough for many of us in this industry right now, and we want to be here for a lot longer, but we can't do it without your support! We want to see your faces and hear your stories and get to know you! Come tell Yolie everything while she makes it all better! Less delivery, more hanging out and making some friends together please!
Today, we’re celebrating 15 years by bringing it back to the beginning. We’re running a $4 bar… all beers, shots, and drinks just like we started from the time we open until 9:00 PM. After that, we’re doing karaoke and keeping the party going. I’ll be sitting at the bar all night long—come find me. I want to say thank you to you directly. Fun fact after the original expansion if you take a look at the bar you will see if is in the shape of a 4 to represent our $4 bar! 😉
I want to hear from you all so please, share your stories and your photos in the comments. Tell us about the nights you don’t remember, the friends you met, the partners you found here, or the hangovers we helped you cure. I want to hear it all!
Chicago, thank you for everything. You’ve meant everything to us.
Love you all and don’t forget to always Stay Cheesie my friends! 🧀
With Love and Appreciation always,
Chris Johnston
CEO & Founder
P.s. special thanks to Brittany at Herstory Balloons for making it extra special in such a short amount of time!
