Weekly Market Report: January 16, 2026

Jan 16, 2025

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Restaurant & Retail Updates

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

New vendors are on the horizon at Inner Rail Food Hall in Aksarben Village. Papi’s Mexican Grill recently opened, specializing in authentic tacos, burritos and customizable bowls. Other vendors coming soon include All-American Burger, which specializes in smash burgers and fries, and The Grove, a local cold-pressured juice and wellness cafe with existing locations downtown and in west Omaha.

Karnali Indian Cuisine has opened 843 North 98th Street. The restaurant operates in the former Sebastian’s Southern Crab space just east of Westroads Mall.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has signed a development deal with TR Hospitality to open three new restaurants across Douglas and Sarpy counties. The brand has several existing locations in the Omaha metro. Wichita, Kansas-based Freddy’s has more than 550 restaurants in 36 states, with approximately 130 locations in development for 2025 and 2026.

Signage has been installed for Señor Tequila Mexican Restaurant at 14440 F Street, where Cilantro’s used to be located. Cilantro’s announced that it plans to move to the Oakview area. Señor Tequila has an existing location in Fremont.

Signage is up for Meddys, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant at 17255 Davenport Street in the former Gunderson’s Jewelry space at Village Pointe. While an opening date has not been announced, this will mark the restaurant’s first Nebraska location. Meddys also operates in Missouri and Oklahoma and is known for its hummus, shawarmas and platters.

The Hideaway Grill and Bar recently opened at 807 South 21st Street in the former Whistles Pub & Grub space in Council Bluffs. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. The family-owned restaurant runs $5 lunch specials and includes six televisions and a billiard hall.

Elevate Cycling & Fitness has opened at 2111 South 67th Street in Aksarben Village, relocating from Rockbrook Village. The locally owned fitness studio offers a range of classes, including cycling, HIIT, sculpt, endurance, and strength training. Elevate also operates Elevate Medspa and Elevate Stretch & Cryotherapy, all located in Omaha.

The Only Facial will host its grand opening and ribbon cutting on January 28 at 1020 South 74th Plaza. The facial spa specializes in a single signature facial tailored to individual skin types and concerns. This is the first Nebraska location for the Midwest company, which also operates in Missouri, Texas and Indiana.

Starbucks has updated its store policies, now requiring all guests who enter its cafes to make a purchase. The new policy is effective across all North American locations and aims to address concerns related to non-paying visitors and people without housing. It also marks a shift from the company’s previous open-door policy established in 2018, which allowed anyone to use its spaces regardless of purchase.

Outback Steakhouse has closed its location at 7605 Cass Street. Part of Tampa, Florida-based Bloomin’ Brands, Inc., Outback continues to operate its other metro area locations at 2414 South 132nd Street in Omaha and southeast of Cornhusker Road & Kennedy Freeway in Bellevue.

Amigo’s has closed permanently at 1855 South 216th Street in Gretna.

Kohl’s is closing 27 underperforming stores in 15 states, according to Fox Business. None of them are in Nebraska or Iowa. Ten of the closing stores are in California. The Wisconsin-based retail chain has more than 1,150 stores, including five in the Omaha metro.

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The “Restaurant & Retail Updates” section is sponsored by Anderson Convenience Market, featuring Quality AMOCO Fuels and serving Omaha since 1952, and proud to announce the return of Quality Amoco Fuels. Look for changes this Summer at Anderson Convenience Market – 8 Omaha area locations!

Learn more about Anderson Convenience market at www.Anderson1952.com

Grow Omaha Eats with
Chris Corey

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Fizzy's exterior at night

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 you can’t see your food. The “cool factor” is off the charts.

There are no servers to take your order, unless you’re at the bar. At a booth, you order from the wall-mounted phone. It’s a direct line to the bartenders, who bring your food to you when it’s ready.

The owners are husband and wife Katie and Noah Mock, who originate from Portland, Ore. They opened Nite Owl in Omaha in 2014 as their first 21-and-over retro bar and restaurant concept. I had the chance to talk with Katie about how Fizzy’s got started.

“We heard about an opportunity in Little Bohemia from our Blackstone neighbor, Archetype Coffee,” Mock recalled. “We were approached about going into the old Bohemian Cafe, and we were really struck by the history behind the restaurant and the nostalgia. We always wanted to do a second place when the time felt right. So we decided to go with something really fun and retro.”

It’s a concept built around ice cream cocktails that originate from Wisconsin and classic comfort food. Fizzy’s opened its doors in March 2020. A week later, the pandemic shut the world down.

“It was a devastating blow,” Mock said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen here. We closed for a while, did a few curbside events, and then we opened back up. It took a lot of grit and creativity to get through that.”

Thankfully, Fizzy’s survived and is thriving today.

This section is brought to you by All Makes and Allsteel. For more than a century, All Makes has remained family-owned and committed to supplying businesses with workplace solutions, specifically furniture and technology. To learn more, visit one of our showrooms in Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Columbus, Kearney, or North Platte.

The Big Story

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The Omaha Supernovas set a professional volleyball attendance record this season. In 2026, they will be a founding member of Major League Volleyball.
The Omaha Supernovas set a professional volleyball attendance record this season. In 2026, they will be a founding member of Major League Volleyball.

Omaha Supernovas to be Founding Member of Major League Volleyball

MLV Holdings, a newly formed investment group, today announced the launch of Major League Volleyball, a women’s professional volleyball league supported by more than $100 million in committed funding. Launching in January 2026, MLV will feature 10 teams including the Omaha Supernovas, which won the Pro Volleyball Federation championship last year and has set national attendance records.

In addition to Nebraska, Major League Volleyball will launch with teams in Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Kansas, Ohio and Washington. Franchises will be independently owned and operated, with MLV creating ownership standards and operational playbooks to ensure major league standards are upheld at every level.

The founding partner group includes Danny White, founder of the Supernovas; Vivek Ranadivé, owner and chairman of the Sacramento Kings; Jason Derulo, partner in the Omaha Supernovas; Kerri Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist; and Benjamin Priest, founder of Won Group.

“Our sport deserves the best of the best,” said Kerri Walsh Jennings. “Our women are kick-ass individuals and athletes, and it is long overdue for there to be a product that resembles the biggest and brightest sports, media and entertainment platforms on the planet. This is the league I would have wished to play in, and the Supernovas are a standard for a pro team that I would have wanted to play for. Stay tuned!”

Volleyball ranks among the top five most popular global sports with more than 800 million players and fans worldwide.

The Omaha Supernovas will finish this current season in the Pro Volleyball Federation, which also includes teams in Atlanta; Columbus, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Indianapolis, Orlando, San Diego and Las Vegas.

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Grow Omaha Snippets

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

The Omaha Streetcar Authority approved three contracts for construction and engineering work. The largest is $26.7 million with Sampson Construction to build the vehicle maintenance facility. One proponent of the resolution asked about the facility’s capacity if there are future streetcar routes to Council Bluffs or other locations. The facility will have capacity to absorb additional vehicle maintenance needs that future extensions may require, but additional storage will be needed. Completion of the maintenance facility is scheduled for December 2026.

The Levi Carter Park Activity and Sports Complex project is about to move forward. In two weeks, the city council will vote on an ordinance to hire Hausmann Construction, Inc. as construction manager at risk. The project will consist of a 100,000 sq. ft. facility with 10 basketball/volleyball courts, a wrestling room, weightlifting room, computer labs and community space. Additionally, the project will add 4 outdoor soccer fields and a 360-stall parking lot. The initial budget is $35,000,000. Site grading could start as early as this spring. The outdoor improvements will be turned over as soon as fall 2025, while the indoor facility could be completed by August 2026.

At this week’s Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority meeting, Jay Noddle, president & CEO of Noddle Companies, shared some information about North Downtown: 1. The planned Union Omaha soccer stadium will not be built on the lawn in front of the Gallup headquarters, but the professional sports club may build elsewhere downtown; 2. MECA has been receiving inquiries from hotel operators (but not hotel brands, per se) for a third convention hotel; 3. Construction will start on a Builder’s District parking garage in February.

The Omaha City Council approved a resolution to pay $500,000 toward the Plaza de La Raza project in South Omaha. Located at 24th & N Street in the middle of the vibrant South 24th Street business district, the project site is currently a surface parking lot and small pedestrian plaza. Canopy South, a nonprofit organization, is leading the project and has plans to transform the parking lot into a public space. The City’s contribution will fund a children’s playground. Additional funding from the State of Nebraska and Douglas County total $6.5 million and will help fund the construction of a stage, open green space and revived pedestrian plaza.

“Missing middle” housing projects continue to gain popularity in east Omaha. A developer plans to raze a single-family home at 2009 South 7th Street to build a triplex residential building. The 8,700 sq. ft. property will accommodate 12 off-street parking spaces. Another developer, RSB Group LLC, plans to build duplexes at 6636 North 31st Avenue, a site in the Miller Park neighborhood. That property is 12,600 square feet and is currently vacant. Each unit will have four bedrooms and be split between the main and second story. They also plan to build a single duplex with 3-bedroom units at 3960 North 36th Avenue, a vacant lot south of the North Omaha High School football field.

Construction has progressed quite a bit over the past few months at Aerie Blue Sage, an entire neighborhood of upscale rental units. Spruce Capital Group is developing the 40-acre site on the west side of 204th Street south of Blue Sage Parkway and just west of Elkhorn South High School. When it’s complete in 2026, Aerie Blue Sage will have 327 market-rate rental units, including stand-alone cottages, duplexes, townhouses, units in low-rise apartment buildings and even 2,000 sq. ft. single-family houses with fenced yards.

Gretna’s mail-in voting ballot measure regarding the Good Life District passed by the thinnest of margins – 1,044 to 1,029. Voters this week approved the measure allowing the City of Gretna to create the economic development program for its Good Life District.

State sales tax within Good Life District boundaries is reduced from 5.5 to 2.75 percent. The city can then impose a “special options” sales or use tax up to 2.75 percent within the district to be used by the Good Life District economic development program to fund improvements and further development within the district. Without the development program in place, customers who have purchased goods and services within the Good Life District, which currently consists of Nebraska Crossing, have enjoyed a reduced sales tax since April 2024.

To complicate matters, Rod Yates, owner of Nebraska Crossing and the original Gretna Good Life applicant, withdrew from the district, saying that he believes the project is no longer viable. Yates supposedly plans to convince the Unicameral to pass a new law, allowing him to develop his mega project independent from the city of Gretna.

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Business News

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The Greater Omaha Chamber will unveil a three-year economic development strategy at its 2025 annual meeting on January 23rd at CHI Health Center Omaha. The plan will outline strategies to develop business as well as attract and retain talent. The last regional economic development plan was in 2018.

Good News for the Omaha Business Community – The Wall Street Journal this week interviewed Howard Buffett, the 70-year-old son of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. The younger Buffett will become the non-executive chairman of the $1trillion conglomerate when his father is no longer capable of running the company. Referring to the future of Berkshire’s headquarters location, Howard Buffett said, “It will never move from Omaha, Nebraska.”

Victress MVMT, a women’s strength and conditioning gym, will host its grand opening and ribbon cutting February 1 at 8035 South 83rd Avenue (near 84th & Giles) in La Vista. The gym focuses on women’s fitness and intentional training tailored to different stages of life. The gym has a current Omaha location at 1314 North 205th Street plus one in Lincoln. Expansion plans include West Des Moines, Iowa; Boise, Idaho; and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Union Pacific Corporation will release fourth quarter 2024 financial and operating results on January 23 at 6:45 a.m. CST. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 7:45 a.m.

Svante Technologies Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, a leading innovator in carbon capture and removal technology, and Omaha-based Tenaska, a prominent CO2 transportation and sequestration service provider, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on delivering cost-effective, integrated solutions for industrial carbon capture and storage.

For the 16th time in the past 17 months, Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index sank below the 50.0 reading in January, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy. The region’s overall reading for January increased to a weak 42.3 from December’s 39.6. A reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.

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Leadership & Sales Insights for Ambitious People

Compiled by Grow Omaha co-founder and sales trainer Jeff Beals.

Sponsored by Dundee Bank

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

The balance of power is shifting away from workers and back to bosses, according to the Wall Street Journal. With the labor market less tight, workers face return-to-office mandates, smaller bonuses and no more “pet sick days.” Unemployment rose to 4.1 percent in December. The ratio of vacant jobs to jobless workers has fallen from a record of 2 in 2022 to 1.1 in November.

The typical employee’s work-from-home days have dwindled by 2 percent each year since it was at 32 percent in July 2022 to its current 26-to-27 percent, according to Fortune.

One in five jobs advertised is a “ghost job” that will never be filled, according to The Hustle. The industries with the most ghost-job postings are construction, the arts, food and beverage and legal. Companies resort to ghost jobs to test the market, build a talent back-list or fulfill some internal political need.

The global banking industry plans to cut 200,000 jobs in the next three-to-five years, according to Bloomberg. Why? Artificial intelligence is expected to replace a lot of back-office and operations jobs at the big banks.

Forty-one percent of global employers intend to downsize their workforce as Artificial Intelligence automates certain tasks, according to CNN. Among the companies surveyed, 77 percent said they plan to “reskill” and “upskill” their existing workers “to better work alongside A.I.”

SALES

If you’re trying to determine if your prospect has decision-making authority, ask: “Is there anyone else in your company you need to include in these discussions?” This question identifies early on if there’s a colleague who would need to buy in before a final decision. Large companies have an average of 7 people involved in major purchasing decisions.

If you’re trying to gauge how committed a prospect is to your competitor, HubSpot recommends you try asking, “Is there any chance you’ll decide to stay with your current solution or are you definitely moving on?” This could help you determine if they’re serious or if they’re just using you for leverage against their current provider.

WISDOM

“Leaders think and talk about solutions. Followers think and talk about problems.” – Brian Tracy

Founded in 2006 right in the heart of Omaha’s Dundee community, Dundee Bank is all about local ownership, friendly customer service, and supporting the needs of our beloved community. With nearly 100% of your deposits going right back into our neighborhoods, Dundee Bank is committed to fueling growth, enabling loans, and fostering stability for you and your neighbors. So why not open an account at Dundee Bank and discover what it means to truly support local?

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Did You Know?

Surprising Facts, Figures & Points of Pride That Make Omaha Unique

This section is sponsored by Lockbox Storage.

Did you know the cost of living in Omaha was 7.8 percent lower than the national average in 2024’s third quarter? A big reason is the relatively low cost of housing. Source: Wall Street Journal

Did you know one of the reasons the city of Omaha is building the modern streetcar is to unlock land for billions of dollars in new development?

Did you know that 36 percent of the people who visit Omaha are coming because of a meeting or convention? Twenty-five percent come to visit friends and family.

This section is sponsored by Lockbox Storage, an affiliate of Omaha-based McGregor Interests Inc. We provide storage solutions for all of your storage needs. Our facilities have full-time managers and bright lighting to provide superior security for your belongings. In addition to space for rent, we also provide packing supplies, protection plans and locks along with complimentary handcarts and dollies. Visit LockBox Storage and let us help you with all your storage needs.

Upcoming Events in the Metro

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The RESET An Immersive Sound Experience with Davin Youngs happening on January 18th: Described as a “magician of the soul,” Davin Youngs is the creator of The RESET, an immersive sound experience where he relies heavily on his improvisational singing, looping and sound healing instruments to create a sonic container for restoration, discovery and healing. Where wellness and music meet, The RESET offers one-of-a-kind sound immersions with a uniquely modern twist. Come out to enjoy an ambient concert where you are able to lie down and invite restoration for 60 to 75 minutes.

Opera in Conversation | Inspiration, Process & Insights happening on January 21st: Opera in Conversation is a series of three sessions surrounding Opera Omaha mainstage productions that features creatives, scholars and other public figures. These FREE events exist to foster cross-disciplinary exploration of art, big questions and community connections. Join Opera Omaha on Tuesday, January 21 at the Joslyn Castle Carriage House for their first The Rake’s Progress Opera in Conversation. The first Opera in Conversation will feature The Rake’s Progress director, Roy Rallo, and conductor, Steven White, as they share their inspiration, creative process, and some behind the scenes insights from the upcoming performances.

Work Smarter, Not Harder: Leveraging A.I. for Your Business happening on January 22nd: A.I. isn’t just for tech giants- it’s here to supercharge small businesses like yours. Join Pam Hagge for a hands-on session with actionable tools to transform content creation, lead generation and efficiency. Have questions? Pam will answer them during an interactive Q&A. Spots are limited-grab yours now and let’s make your business smarter, faster and better!

E-Commerce & Friends Meetup + Social with Humbl Roots happening on January 23rd: Start the new year with inspiration and connections! Join others for an evening of networking and growth. This time will feature Jake & Jacquelyn Burklund, Co-Founders of Humbl Roots, who have carved their unique path with Carinara, merging innovative commerce with a passion for community. Hear their journey, gain invaluable business insights, and learn tips that will elevate your entrepreneurial game. Bring your questions, enjoy the drinks and engage in conversations that spark new ideas.

Do you have an event you want Vesta to publicize? Share them with us here for free!

This section is sponsored by Eagle Mortgage, a locally owned, full-service mortgage company helping you with Conventional, VA, FHA and USDA loans in both Nebraska and Iowa. Learn how Eagle Mortgage helps people afford the home of their dreams by clicking HERE!

People in the News

Sponsored by The Greater Omaha Chamber

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digital rendering of Flatiron District project buildings

NP Dodge Real Estate has welcomed new residential sales associates including Jay Alexi, Brittany Young, Tom Fraley and Susan Evans.

WoodmenLife has promoted Ben Janecek to director, enterprise risk management. He has been with WoodmenLife since 2020, when he joined the product development team in the actuarial division. Janecek was promoted to manager, ERM in 2023. Previously, he served in actuarial positions at Ameritas and Pacific Life. Janecek graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, majoring in Actuarial Science.

Omaha Community Playhouse has appointed Vincent (VJ) Orduña as artistic director effective May 2025. Orduña brings vast experience across multiple areas of theater to this leadership role. He will be responsible for programming and season planning; cultivating and maintaining relationships with artists; oversight of all artistic staff; and contributing to the long-range vision of Omaha Community Playhouse.

The Greater Omaha Chamber is a catalyst and connector, advocating for businesses small and large. Learn, share and grow with more than 12,000 professionals from 3,000 member businesses across Greater Omaha. Click HERE to see our latest events.

Wall Street: The Week in Review

Commentary by George Morgan

Views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author.

He is the founder of Morgan Investor Education of Omaha.

As we start the new year, the financial media is bloated with articles opining on how the market will perform in 2025 and offering tips on which stocks will lead you to financial nirvana. For many years, the Omaha World Herald ran a stock market prediction contest, featuring a gaggle of local financial gurus, yours truly included.

Back in the early 2000’s, I won three years in a row. So, what’s the secret to my success? It can be summed up in the phrase: “Every once in a while, a blind squirrel finds an acorn.”

My fellow broker types cranked through ginormous reams of financial, statistical and economic data to concoct their formulaic projections. When asked for my projection, I just rolled my eyes, cocked back my head and envisioned a random number, always bigger than the previous one. Not scientific, but occasionally effective.

At the risk of sounding like an egomaniac, let me state publicly that the Wall Street Journal concurs with my hypothesis that the market is random and unpredictable. Last year they ran a prediction contest with a slightly different twist. Instead of pitting Wall Street professionals against the market, they took a page from Burton Malkiel’s “A Random Walk Down Wall Street.”

In his opus magnum, Malkiel had blindfolded monkeys throw darts at a page of stock market listings and compared their result against a panel of Wall Street’s finest stock pickers. At the end of the year, the WSJ results were tallied and the crème de la crème of Wall Street underperformed the random darts selection by 48 percent.

The Wall Street Journal article then went on to state that a plain-Jane, vanilla index fund contains all the needles in the haystack the Wall Street professionals were searching for. Trusting fund managers to find and keep owning them would result in investor frustration.

Last year 43 percent of actively managed mutual funds outperformed the S&P 500. Of that group, only 3 percent outperformed the year before. As a partial explanation for this result, the author of the article said, and I quote, “Words you will never hear a fund manager say; I just got lucky.”

To provide you with my perfectly random thoughts about 2025, I will start by quoting George Santana; “History never repeats itself. But it does rhyme.” In 2024, investors added close to one trillion dollars to index funds. The funds that received the biggest in-flows were the funds that replicate the S&P 500. The second biggest was QQQ, which tracks the NASDAQ 100 index.

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Have You Watched Grow O on Video Yet?

Jeff Beals, Trenton Magid and a guest in the KFAB 1110 Radio Booth

The Grow Omaha radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning at 9:00, but now you can watch videos of each episode instead of just listening.

Grow Omaha’s brand-new website features video footage shot inside the radio studio during each week’s show!

Videos include News of the Week, Lightning Round, guest interviews, and “Grow Omaha Uncut,” a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during commercial breaks.

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