News Briefs
California Ice Cream Chain Opens Second Omaha Location
La Michoacana Plus Nebraska will held a soft opening February 8 for its second Omaha location at 5101 South 36th Street inside Isla del Mar South. The California-based brand, known for its Mexican ice cream and antojitos, opened its first Nebraska location in July 2024 at 2502 South 133rd Plaza inside Isla del Mar Restaurante 2. La Michoacana Plus has more than 80 locations worldwide. – Nicole Buntgen
Indian Food Truck to Hold Grand Opening
Tikka Talk, an Indian street food truck, will host its grand opening and ribbon cutting on February 14 at 6212 Maple Street outside The Waiting Room Lounge in Benson. Founded in 2010, the Iowa-based concept specializes in tikka dishes, wraps, and fusion snacks with Indian-inspired flavors. – Nicole Buntgen
Chinese Restaurant Converting to Japanese Cuisine
Otoro Sushi & Ramen will open in mid-February at 14459 West Center Road, replacing the former Panda House Chinese Restaurant. The new Japanese eatery will offer sushi and ramen, focusing on high-quality ingredients and traditional flavors. – Nicole Buntgen
Featured Project
St. Cecilia Cathedral to Construct Outdoor Plaza and Garden
St. Cecilia Cathedral is embarking on a campaign to construct a welcoming outdoor plaza and memorial garden, creating new spaces for worship, fellowship and reflection while preserving the legacy of this historic landmark, according to The Catholic...
Featured Stories
Drama Heating Up at Gretna Good Life District
Just when you thought Gretna’s Good Life District could not get any more bewildering, we’ve got a message for you: “Hold my beer.” The sprawling, 2,000-acre district is generating a lot of drama, and Gretna City Council meetings are becoming must-see events. Rod Yates, the real estate developer who originally created the district, recently backed away from the project, but the latest alternative proposal is no less fantastical. The district stretches from Capehart Road on the north to just south of Platteview Road. It includes Nebraska Crossing and straddles both Interstate 80 and Highway 31. At this week’s Gretna City Council meeting, the owner of Omaha-based Woodsonia Real Estate revealed new plans to build a blockbuster project on just part of the overall district. Woodsonia would team up with a Kansas City-based developer that has ties to the Sporting KC Major League Soccer team. Their plan encompasses 700 acres within the district. The most imminent portion includes a $400...
2024 Commercial Real Estate Market News
NAI NP Dodge, a commercial real estate company, produces a report on Omaha’s commercial real estate market each quarter. Below are some highlights for Q4 of 2024. Omaha’s office, retail and industrial markets remain healthy. Office Market The 48.6 million sq. ft. Omaha office market ended the 4th quarter of 2025 with a vacancy rate of 8.0 percent, which was up from last quarter. Absorption over the past 12 months was -358,000 sq. ft. Rental rates were up to $24.64. Approximately 1.2 million sq. ft. of office space is under construction at this time, same as last quarter. Retail Market More than 66.5 million sq. ft. of retail space was considered for this report, which is based on CoStar data. At this time, 277,000 sq. ft. of retail space is under construction, which is up a bit from last quarter. Vacancy was unchanged at 4.3 percent. Rental rates were $17.64 per square foot. The 12-month net absorption was 450,000 sq. ft. at the end of the quarter, down a little from the previous...
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Greater Omaha
Chamber
Greater Omaha Chamber Releases New Economic Development Plan
The Greater Omaha Chamber has unveiled its ambitious vision for the future: transforming the region into a model of economic vitality by 2027. Based on research of where Greater Omaha ranks amongst its peers, the Chamber’s 2025-2027 economic development strategy seeks...
Visit
Omaha
Visit Omaha Launches New Initiatives for 2025
Visit Omaha continues to inspire travel and enhance the city’s reputation as a premier Midwest destination. Through strategic branding, advertising, social media, e-newsletters, a destination guide and public relations outreach, the team showcases Omaha as the ideal...
Omaha
Transportation
Oklahoma City Streetcar in Focus
Oklahoma City StreetcarThe Oklahoma City Streetcar is another system I recently visited, and similar to the Washington DC streetcar that was featured in this column last year, offers some insights and lessons for Omaha. Of particular interest is the streetcar’s chosen...
New Restaurants
Coming Soon
Caddy’s Brunch Bar
103 West Broadway Council Bluffs
Now open
Meddys
Village Pointe
Coming soon
Otoro Sushi & Ramen
14459 West Center Rd
Opening mid-February
Copps Pizza
Nebraska Crossing
Now open
New Retailers
Coming Soon
The Spice and Tea Exchange
Village Pointe
Opening early April
LaserAway
Village Pointe
Opening February 5th
Too Many Tanks
8445 West Center Road
Now open
Elevate Cycling & Fitness
Aksarben Village
Now open
Restaurants Closing
On the Border Mexican Cantina
8810 South 71st Plaza
Closed
Mio Italiano
3001 South 32nd Avenue
Closed
Amigos/Kings Classic
1855 S 216th Street, Gretna
Closed
Outback Steakhouse
7605 Cass Street
Closed
Retailers Closing
Family Fare
7402 North 30th Street
Closing soon
The Posh Peacock
12100 West Center Road
Closing January 25
Party City
Near 24th & I-80, Council Bluffs
Closing February 28
Party City
Montclair Near 132nd & West Center Road
Closing February 28
Grow Omaha Eats
‘Legacy Chophouse’ is a Modern Steakhouse Concept with Inspired Cocktails and Darn Good Steak
‘Legacy Chophouse’ started out as a concept drawn on a napkin by two friends. Six months later, they opened their doors in the former Jams location in the Shops of Legacy southwest of 168th & West Center Road. Opening a restaurant in a short time frame…
Fizzy’s Fountain & Liquors is a Nostalgic Time Capsule of Classic Comfort Food and Inspired Ice Cream Cocktails
When you step inside Fizzy’s, you find yourself standing in a nostalgic 1950s style diner. The lighting is dim and romantic, so much that you might want your phone light to see the menu, but not so much that…
‘Jaipur’ is an Omaha Staple of Fine Indian Food and Craft Beer
Jaipur is named after the capital of northern India’s Rajasthan state. It’s also Omaha’s oldest craft brewery, opening in 1992. The Rockbrook Village restaurant serves notably delicious Indian food. This is evident by the lines of awards on the wall that greet you as...
Grow Omaha Flicks
‘Companion’ is a Slick, Near Perfect Sci-Fi Dark Comedy Thriller
★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Companion’ is a very well done dark comedy thriller involving a robot companion who thinks she’s a real woman in a real relationship. The film does such a convincing job of setting up her character – and those around her – that the twists and turns of the story feel very real and compelling…
‘Valliant One’ is a Compelling Thriller Behind Enemy Lines
★ ★ ★ ½ ‘Valiant One’ is a military thriller in which an aborted mission leads to a helicopter crash in North Korea. From start to finish, the movie is packed with tense action and thrilling sequences as a group of soldiers try to make their way to safety. A tech repair mission is aborted…
‘Dogman’ is Half Dog, Half Man and All Fun
★ ★ ★ ½ ‘Dogman’ is based on the series of books by Dav Pilkey, who also wrote the popular ‘Captain Underpants’ series. When the movie opens, Officer Knight and his dog Greg (both voiced by Peter Hastings) are pursuing Ohkay City’s notorious villain, Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson). Petey is a mad scientist of sorts, who invents all kinds of vehicles and contraptions…