News Briefs
Anna’s Place Speakeasy Bar Moving to Old Market
Anna’s Place, a speakeasy cocktail bar, will move from its current location inside the Hotel Indigo at 18th & Dodge Street to the former Mouth of the South space in the Old Market. The move will be completed late this summer. Owner Devon Mundt said he’s moving because the new space at 1111 Harney Street will have better foot traffic and will allow him to increase seating from 30 to 50 people. The new Anna’s Place will also have room for a built-in waiting room. The eastern half of the old Mouth of the South space will be home to Sakura Ichiban Co.
Omaha Chicken Co. Opens Along North 24th Street Corridor
Omaha Chicken Co. has opened for business at 2414 Patrick Avenue, along the North 24th Street Historic District. According to the restaurant’s social media, Omaha Chicken Co. specializes in “Midwest-style chicken.”
Le Voltaire Temporarily Closes for Remodeling
Le Voltaire, a French fine dining restaurant at 569 North 155th Plaza in Pepperwood Village, temporarily closed March 14 for remodeling and is set to reopen April 1. The restaurant, which opened in 2001, is marking its 25th anniversary this year. – Nicole Buntgen
Featured Project
Industrial Building Near 144th & Highway 370
Opus has started construction on the Highway 370 Logistics building at 13760 Highway 370 on a 12-acre site near Amazon’s regional distribution center in Papillion. The 168,486 sq. ft., speculative, industrial building will have 32-foot clear...
Featured Stories
Omaha Grows by Nearly 1% According to Latest Census Bureau Data
The Omaha metro area grew by nearly 1 percent over the past year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released today. The updated population estimates cover the period from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025. The 8-county Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area grew from a population of 1,000,266 in 2024 to 1,009,836 in 2025. That’s a net gain of 9,570 people and a healthy growth rate of .96 percent. The average growth rate for all U.S. metro areas was only about .5 percent. The nation has 423 metro areas, and each one of them is comprised of counties as determined by the Census Bureau. The feds have declared five counties in Nebraska and three in Iowa comprise the Omaha NE-IA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Here’s a look at how each of those counties grew from 2024 to 2025: Douglas (NE) 606,460 = +.92% annual growth Sarpy (NE) 208,303 = +1.85% annual growth Pottawattamie (IA) 92,996 = -.29% annual Cass (NE) 27,657 = +.57% annual growth Saunders (NE) 23,702 = +1.1% annual growth Washington...
Eppley’s New Terminal Adds Amenities While Reducing Passenger Anxiety
Eppley Airfield’s $950 million terminal expansion and modernization project will increase capacity, but it’s also designed to lower passengers’ anxiety. When the reconstruction project was being designed back in 2019, the Omaha Airport Authority wanted the terminal layout to be “intuitive,” meaning passengers would naturally know where to go even if there wasn’t any wayfinding signage. “Eppley has always been known for its convenience,” said Dave Roth, CEO of the Omaha Airport Authority. “We want this terminal to be crisp, clean and efficient.” Roth said the airport authority doesn’t necessarily want the new terminal to be flashy, rather the goal is for it to be “functional while still looking very classy.” That intuitive and efficient design was obvious during Grow Omaha’s tour of the under-construction terminal this week. Elevators are immediately visible inside the front entrance, TSA security is just steps from the main escalators and departing passengers are separated from...
Omaha Zoo Earns Four #1 Rankings in USA TODAY 10Best Awards
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park have once again earned #1 rankings in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This year’s recognition includes: Best Zoo – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Fourth consecutive win) Best Zoo Membership – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Second consecutive win) Best Zoo Exhibit – Desert Dome (Seventh consecutive win for Best Zoo Exhibit; third for Desert Dome) Best Safari Park – Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park (Sixth consecutive win) “These honors belong to our entire community,” said Luis Padilla, president and CEO of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the Lee G Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. “They are an acknowledgement of the work our team does every day connecting people with the animal world and inspiring a better future for all life.” Padilla added, “This national recognition is less about a title and more about elevating the values that we live by every day: the impact of our...
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Grow Omaha
Sports
The March 26th Sports Report
Following the announcement of Greg McDermott’s retirement, Creighton men’s basketball introduced Alan Huss as the 17th head coach in program history on Wednesday. Huss served as an assistant coach for six years (2017-2023) at Creighton before returning last April as...
Visit
Omaha
Scooter’s Coffee GROW Conference Comes to Omaha
Omaha-based Scooter’s Coffee has grown from a single drive-through into a national brand with more than 900 locations. The Nebraska-born company is bringing franchisees, partners and team members back to Omaha for the Scooter's Coffee GROW Conference March 16-18. More...
Omaha
Transportation
Grow Omaha Streetcar Topics: What will streetcar stops look like?
Key issues to consider with transit construction project timelinesStreetcar stop in Kansas City showing the level boarding platform similar to OmahaNow that streetcar track construction has started, I am even more excited about what our streetcar stops will look like,...
Local
History
The Rise and Fall of Jobbers Canyon
The largest destruction of a historic district in the country occurred in Omaha nearly four decades ago. The area was known as Jobbers Canyon. The industrial district was formed after Council Bluffs was designated the eastern terminus for the transcontinental railroad...
Non-Profit
News
The March 26th Non-Profit News
At the Scooter’s Coffee Annual Companywide Conference this month, franchise owners and store managers assembled approximately 500 hygiene kits to support Youth Emergency Services, an Omaha-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting homeless and near-homeless youth. Four...
Grow Omaha
Arts & Culture
The March 26th Arts & Culture Report
The Holland Center will feature Clara Schumann & Brahms at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. The concert starts with Unsuk Chin’s tribute to Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Subito con Forza. Pianist Zee Zee, a bright and electric performer who’s...
Greater Omaha
Chamber
New Program Expands Civic Engagement Through Leadership Training
The Greater Omaha Chamber, in collaboration with CIRA (Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement), is launching a free program to advance civic engagement and leadership amongst Omaha’s immigrant and refugee populations. MyCity Greater Omaha, or MyCity GO, offers...
New Restaurants
Coming Soon
Omaha Chicken Co.
2414 Patrick Avenue
Now open
Chipotle Mexican Grill
30th & W. Broadway, C. Bluffs
To be constructed
Tasty Pizza
3001 South 32nd Avenue
Coming soon
Talus Spirits & Sustenance
17205 Evans Street
Now open
New Retailers
Coming Soon
JD Sports
Nebraska Crossing
Opening this spring
Les Schwab Tire Center
4103 South 205th Street
To be constructed
Beauty First
8540 South 71st Street
Grand opening April 28
Westlake Ace Hardware
Shadow Lake Towne Center
Grand opening April 16
Restaurants Closing
Benjamin’s Neighborhood Kitchen
3623 North 129th Street
Permanently closed
Burger King
13750 West Maple Road
Permanently closed
Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ
1912 South 67th Street
Permanently closed
Brownie Bar Bakery
Rockbrook Village
Closing February 28
Retailers Closing
Coco & Charlie’s
Olde Towne Elkhorn
Closing February 25
Family Fare Supermarket
5110 South 108th Street
Closing March 6
Eddie Bauer
Nebraska Crossing
Permanently closed
Found: Vintage Market
6022 Maple Street
Closing soon
Grow Omaha Eats
The Committee Chophouse Serves History and Steak at 1,200 Degrees
The Committee Chophouse opened December 2020 just after the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel opened for guests following a major renovation. It’s nestled in the building’s lower level and is a big part of the rebirth of the historic Blackstone Hotel. Walking into the hotel feels like…
Osaka Blends Hibachi Fun, Flames & Hospitality
Osaka Steakhouse and Sushi Bar opened next to La Vista’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in March 2019. Originally from China, married restaurateurs Michael and Amy Chen dreamed of owning Japanese-style restaurants. While they’ve since put down roots in Omaha…
North Italia Delivers Polished Casual From Scratch
North Italia opened in the former Bravo! Italian Kitchen space at Village Pointe this past November. The concept was created by Sam Fox under Fox Restaurant Concepts in 2002. Fox focuses on high-quality, accessible concepts often described as “polished casual.” In 2021…
Grow Omaha Flicks
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Scores Big With Blood and Chaos
★ ★ ★ ½ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a much better film than a horror-action-comedy sequel should be. In fact, it may be better than the original in many ways. In the first film Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) marries Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien) in the ridiculously large backyard of the family estate. The Le Domas family has a tradition. When there’s a new spouse added to the family, the new family member…
Project Hail Mary Reaches for the Stars and Delivers
★ ★ ★ ★ Project Hail Mary is a film based on the novel by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian. This film is so entertaining and captivating that its two-and-a-half-hour runtime flies by. Many elements work cohesively to create an excellent space drama that makes first contact with an alien feel fresh again. Earth’s sun is under threat from a phenomenon, an infrared line from Venus to the sun, called the Petrova Line…
Undertone Dials In Terror and Tension
★ ★ ★ ½ Undertone is a one-location micro-budget horror film that triggered a bidding war when it premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival in 2025. It was eventually acquired by A24. The initial budget? $500,000. It’s proof that a good story, shot and told well, doesn’t necessarily need big-budget Hollywood financing. Just a director with an inheritance and the talent to make a movie. What director Ian Tuason creates here is a world that feels big despite the fact that the entire film takes place…
Latest Grow Omaha Shows
Radio Show
The March 28th Radio Show
This week’s Grow Omaha Radio Show covers a wide range of business, development and restaurant news from across the metro. Jeff Beals and Trenton Magid discuss the planned conversion of the former FNBO building into 300 apartments, fresh U.S. Census numbers showing...
Uncut
The March 28th Uncut
This week’s Grow Omaha Uncut takes viewers behind the scenes of the show while also digging into some of the metro’s biggest business and development stories. Jeff Beals and Trenton Magid cover the week’s top headlines, including downtown redevelopment, Omaha’s...
Highlights
How Omaha Wins with The Greater Omaha Chamber’s Heath Mello
Heath Mello, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, joins Grow Omaha for a conversation about what it takes for Omaha to compete in today’s battle for jobs, talent and investment. The discussion centers on the Chamber’s Omaha Competes initiative and the...
