Weekly Market Report – October 12, 2023

Salted Edge Modern Kitchen + Bar has opened at 110 South 243rd Street in A View West Shores, a new building overlooking West Shores Lake. According to the restaurant’s website, it offers “both indoor and patio bars, high-end dining and one of the best wine selections Omaha has to offer.”

Willie Dogs, long a popular food-truck business, has opened in Aksarben Village’s Inner Rail Food Hall. Owner Ryan Barry and his staff make all the premium hotdogs and sausages by hand.

Veg.Edible, which considers itself to be Omaha’s first restaurant dedicated to all vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free options, plans to open in Benson at 2740 North 61st Street. The space was formerly Wonton Jon’s and Baked After Dark before that.

Kasa du Bonbon has opened at 8410 South 73rd Plaza in Papillion (near 72nd & Giles Road). The locally owned coffee shop offers crepes, coffee drinks, tea, fruit bubble and milk teas. By the way, Kasa du Bobon means “house of sweetness.”

Happy Buddha’s Asian Cuisine will hold a ribbon cutting October 27th at 3608 Twin Creek Drive in Bellevue. Happy Buddha’s is an Asian restaurant with a barbeque twist. Periodic specials include Texas-style smoked brisket fried rice and St Louis-style smoke ribs finished in Hoisin sauce.

Dirty Dough has opened in a new retail strip at 12438 Southport Parkway in La Vista near Cabela’s and Embassy Suites. Dirty Dough is a fast-growing, gourmet cookie chain from Arizona.

Ross Dress for Less is now open at 717 South 72nd Street just east of Nebraska Furniture Mart. The California-based discount retailer now has six metro area stores.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu held a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday for its new martial arts school at 3030 West Broadway in Council Bluffs.

Noli’s Pizzeria will permanently close its Gretna location at 11832 Standing Stone Drive this Saturday. However, the locally owned pizza restaurant plans to open a new location at 6307 Center Street just south of Aksarben Village.

After two years in business, Barrel & Vine has closed permanently at 1311 S. 203rd Street. Barrel & Vine was a two-level restaurant, bar and live music venue that had an outdoor pool deck on the second floor.

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

Review: At Let it Fly, even a sports lover’s spouse can find something to appreciate

By Sarah Baker Hansen

I have written about (and eaten at) a lot of sports bars in the decade I’ve been writing about restaurants, and I can tell you this with some confidence: Most don’t have very good food. Food often feels like an afterthought, a requirement, a third most important thing after Miller Lite and big televisions.

Let it Fly, which opened with a flourish in June in the Capitol District, is an exception. I was not sure what to expect going in, though I saw some posts on social media from people I trust and it looked, frankly, pretty fancy for a sports bar.

In reality, it is pretty fancy for a sports bar. There is an actual cocktail menu, for starters. A wine list, a brunch menu, several entrees — steak frites at a sports bar? — and, as I tried for myself, several solid versions of bar food staples like pizza, wings and burgers. It might be the most food-focused sports bar in town. Others in the neighborhood are going to need to up their game to compete.

And don’t worry: Let it Fly has the biggest television set I have ever seen.

Let it Fly is owned by Mike Miller, a former Memphis Grizzlies player and current Memphis Tigers coaching staff member, whose son, Mason, plays basketball for Creighton. The restaurant is run by CEO Al Lopez.

Miller also runs a location of the bar in Sioux Falls, S.D. and a second in Germantown, Tenn. There are already rumors flying around a second Omaha Let it Fly location to open sometime soon in west Omaha. (I tried to set up an interview with one of the owners but did not hear back from them before my deadline.)

I think I was most curious to try two dishes at Let it Fly: A burger, of which there are several, and the chicken wings.

The classic cheeseburger, which I ordered medium, arrived a bit past that point, but with a nice, charred exterior topped with melted cheddar, a pile of tasty pickles, lettuce, tomato and a brioche bun. I added the sauteed mushrooms for an extra buck and was glad I did: they added a meaty richness I liked a lot. Fries are shoestring style — they did not seem house made to me — and arrived crisp and hot.

The wings come in orders of six or a dozen, and diners can choose one sauce per six wings; we went with the interesting sounding “barbecue dry rub,” but probably wouldn’t do that again because I think, like we did, that most diners would find that particular order of wings a bit too dry. Nonetheless, they were nicely cooked, with a crispy outside and tender meat. The dill-spiked Ranch is good for dipping, but I most enjoyed them with a side of Mike’s Hot Honey I requested for pizza crust, but it is simply good on everything. Comparatively, I’d say I still like the char buff wings at Addy’s, which has a location just a couple blocks away, more — they’re larger, and meatier — but the wings at Let it Fly are a close second.

We managed to check out one item from the brunch menu on a Sunday, the LIF “hangover burrito,” which appeared rather restrained, I thought, considering its name. Chorizo is the main attraction here, and there’s plenty of it, nicely cooked and paired with potatoes and scrambled egg; we wished for a bit more egg in the end. It comes with both red and green salsas, plus pico de gallo and sour cream.

We sat both at the bar and in the dining room on our two visits (and have done the same at several “unofficial” visits in the past.) Sometimes service at the bar is great, but sometimes, like it was the day we first visited for this review, it is spotty. We had to ask for ketchup and refills of iced tea; the bar was not busy, and several employees were standing around.

Another day, when we went in for dinner, the restaurant was busy (the WWE was having an event at the nearby CHI Health Center that night) but our food came promptly and our server was attentive, at one point, even reciting the entire draft and bottle beer list from memory.

That evening we tried two of the cocktails on the list: a tangy margarita with a salted rim and an herbal whiskey smash. Both were balanced, nicely garnished and flavorful. I think Matthew might have said it best: “A passable sports bar cocktail list? That has never happened in Omaha.”

Nor has a passable wine list, which they also have, and which I in particular appreciate. Matthew tried the “Let it Fly” Lager, produced in partnership with Infusion Brewing, and said it’s the kind of unobjectionable but tasty beer that’s both local and appealing to pretty much everyone.

I felt like we were taking a risk ordering the meat lovers pizza, but every time I’ve been to Let it Fly, I’ve seen a lot of diners ordering pizza, and now I get it. In spite of my low expectations, it has a house-made, flavorful crust with a chewy edge, and the meat lovers comes topped with good quality pepperoni, soppressata, fennel salami and sweet sausage. It had plenty of flavor and a balanced but acidic tomato sauce.

We threw in a Philly just to try something from the sandwich menu; it was good, not great. Thick sliced beef intermingled with sliced peppers and sauteed onions on a hoagie bun, no surprises there.

Sitting in the main floor dining room at Let it Fly, I counted a minimum of 30 television sets surrounding our table. There’s also a second floor of seats, with a balcony of sorts featuring a low bar where the seats face the absolutely enormous television set on the west wall, which their website tells me is a 50-foot LED screen. You absolutely cannot miss it. I have a hard time imagining missing a single play at this sports bar.

Like I said, I’ve watched many a Chicago Cubs game or a Nebraska game at a sports bar with Matthew, and rarely have I found much to write home about.

Many times, I’ve wondered why Omaha can’t come up with a sports bar that features both a nice cocktail and a good burger.

Let it Fly is answering the call. And while it’s not perfect, it’s damn close.

Let it Fly

https://www.letitflyomaha.com/

1080 Capitol Ave.

Hours:
M – F: 11a – 2a
Sat & Sun: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

402-504-1082

Massive Construction at UNMC

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Project NExT first phase – now known as “Project Health: Building the Healthiest Nebraska” – will move to a more detailed design phase after a vote last week by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

The Regents’ unanimous decision cleared the way to engage design and construction planning teams for the transformational academic health science initiative. UNMC leaders said that, following a public bid project, they hope to have these planning teams in place by the end of this calendar year.

“The regents’ action allows us to move forward on the first phase of planning for this highly ambitious project,” UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold said. “UNMC always strives to be the preeminent health education institution in our nation; this initiative ensures that our clinical learning spaces are conducive to modern health education, and it will provide for dramatic expansion of facilities for clinical/translational research, which our current and future students and residents require. Furthermore, this new facility will allow us to provide more health care workforce for Nebraska and beyond, something that is desperately needed in rural and urban communities across the state.”

Project Health: Building the Healthiest Nebraska will position the medical center to improve its capacity to address the health care needs of Nebraska. It will provide needed campus enhancement to UNMC’s research, education, clinical and community service missions at its campus in Omaha. Thousands of UNMC students receive required clinical education annually in Omaha at Nebraska Medicine, UNMC’s primary clinical partner. After graduation, many of these trainees live and work throughout Nebraska.

The enhancements include:

1. Building increased academic, research and patient care capacity in new facilities, which – based on the Phase One investments and bolstered by future phases – is estimated to generate between $600 million and $1.1 billion in incremental revenue annually by Year 7 of the project. The Building the Healthiest Nebraska phase itself has the opportunity to support 4,272 additional jobs directly and indirectly and provide $39.4 million in state tax revenue

2. Building our state health workforce through class size and residency expansion, which will add many more UNMC educated health professionals. This includes adding many newly minted physicians to the Nebraska workforce annually by 2030.

In addition, Project Health: Building the Healthiest Nebraska will allow UNMC to add approximately 100 new physician residency training positions by 2030. In addition to more health care workers in rural and urban communities, the annual economic impact of these student and resident slots will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the Nebraska economy.

Phase Two of Project NExT, “Regional Federal Partnerships,” will potentially provide expansion of facilities for key regional partnerships, while Phase 3, “National Federal Partnerships,” will potentially create a joint civilian-military medical surge facility through additional public-private partnerships. The partnership would expand federal medical surge capability and support the National Disaster Medical System training run by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

At the same meeting, the regents approved the Campus Operations and Research Excellence (CORE) project, a 6-story building to be constructed on the southwest corner of Saddle Creek Road & Farnam Street.​​​​​​

The CORE building will have two floors for administrative business functions and retail space, one floor to support computer-based research, and three floors for wet lab use. The City of Omaha will build a parking garage next door.

Construction on the CORE Building will begin this fall with completion expected in February 2026.

Jet Linx Aviation, a global personal aviation company headquartered in Omaha, has opened its newly constructed private terminal on the east side of Eppley Airport. The 60,000 sq. ft. private hangar is equipped with 28-foot-high doors capable of housing the largest business jets manufactured today. The building also includes a 6,600 sq. ft. lounge and office area with a meeting room, executive lounge and a fully stocked kitchenette and bar.

Jet Linx operates more than 100 aircraft across 21 locations nationwide, providing aircraft management and jet card membership through local service relationships. Founded in 1999 with four aircraft and 12 owners, Jet Linx is now the eighth-largest private jet management company in the nation.

American Airlines will resume its seasonal non-stop service from Omaha to Miami International Airport on November 6th. For the first time, American will service the route with larger, A319 aircraft.

NCG Hospitality has opened Nebraska’s first Moxy Hotel at 12th & Harney Street in the Old Market. Moxy is Marriott International’s “experiential” hotel brand that is designed to be “vibrant, young, fun and boundary-pushing.” Moxy Omaha Downtown will offer 24/7 food and beverage service and has 113 rooms.

Box Office magazine recently featured the Barstow family of Omaha. They are the owners of ACX Cinemas, which has six theaters including ACX Cinema12 on 204th Street and Aksarben Cinema. Read the article HERE.

The Westside Foundation announced a campaign to raise money for improvements to Westside High School, including a new Olympic size swimming pool, according to News-Radio 1110 KFAB. The foundation has already raised 75 percent of its $34 million goal. The private fundraising is in addition to a $121 million bond issue approved by Westside voters earlier this year.

Seventeen Nebraska nonprofits will share $70 million in grant funds awarded by the state for “shovel-ready” building projects, according to Nebraska Examiner. The biggest winner of grants announced Wednesday by the state Department of Economic Development is Omaha’s Creighton University, which is to receive $30 million.

The Shovel-Ready Capital Recovery and Investment Act Program passed last legislative session and provides additional funding from the state’s general fund. The funds are to assist nonprofits with capital projects that were delayed due to the pandemic or that are to provide a positive economic impact in the state.

Grow Omaha Snippets are brought to you by Omaha Car Care with four metro area locations – 131st & Dodge, 58th & Center, 85th & L and 144th & Harrison.

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Dundee Bank has opened its fourth branch at 61st & Maple Street in Benson. Like its other branches in Dundee, Blackstone and Little Bohemia, Dundee Bank renovated an historical building. Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture designed the space. The bank’s first location opened in 2006 in the former Buffett & Son grocery store where Warren Buffett worked as a teenager.

Dr. Leslie Koenig has opened Waybridge Clinic in the Lakeside area at 168th & West Center Road. The clinic offers IV ketamine, a breakthrough treatment for depression, PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain.

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild debuted Oct. 7th, 60 years after the original Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom series launched on NBC. The next generation of the legacy show tells success stories of wildlife conservation throughout North America. The series brings the iconic Wild Kingdom brand back to its roots as it revisits some of the work that began decades ago with original series hosts, legendary zoologists Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler.

Google, in partnership with the Midlands African Chamber and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, hosted a free personal branding and digital skills workshop for entrepreneurs and young professionals from underrepresented communities last week. Seventy-four percent of Americans reveal that they are most likely to do business with someone who has an established personal brand. Google, which has four data centers in the Omaha metro, has partnered with 70 Nebraska organizations since 2017 to train more than 71,000 people on digital skills.

Union Pacific Corporation will release third quarter 2023 financial and operating results on Thursday, Oct. 19th at 6:45 a.m. CT. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 7:45 a.m. CT.

A new Census-based report has revealed that housing has surpassed jobs as the number one reason why Nebraskans move out of state, according to Nebraska Examiner. Among Nebraskans who moved away last year, 34 percent did so to find more affordable/better housing. Only 17.6 percent moved for a job. In 2021, the numbers were essentially reversed with 34.7 percent moving for jobs and 17.6 percent moving because of housing.

Online holiday sales in the United States (November 1st to December 31st) will reach $221.8 billion, a 4.8 percent bump from last year, according to Retail Dive. “Buy now, pay later” will drive $17 billion in online spending, up from $14.5 billion in 2022.

Have you wondered why consumer spending has remained resilient despite the Fed raising interest rates? According to the Wall Street Journal, senior citizens are carrying the load. There are more 65+ people than ever before and their finances tend to be healthier and more stable than other age groups.

This section is sponsored by FranNet of The Heartland, the local, trusted franchise experts. They are “in the business of helping you get into business!”

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

The capability of a company’s leadership is a lid on that organization’s overall performance, according to John C. Maxwell. Incremental increases in a company’s leadership can generate exponential returns.

Thirty-eight percent of people are actively considering leaving their current workplace or already interviewing elsewhere, according to Fortune. Of those who plan to stay in their jobs, 61 percent say they understand what their manager expects in order to give them a promotion. Among people planning to leave their jobs, only 21 percent do.

Fifty-four percent of professionals surveyed by Glassdoor said they did not negotiate in their most recent salary conversation, according to Fortune. Men and women both negotiated the same amount – 46 percent.

Corporate travel managers are expecting hotel rates to increase 5 percent or more in 2024, according to Steve Glenn of Executive Travel. A quarter of these managers think rates will rise more than 10 percent.

SALES

The best sales pros are hunters, but hunters are rare, says sales author Mike Weinberg. Most sales pros are farmers. If you’re using a farmer to compete for business against another company’s hunter, you’re in a bad spot. As Weinberg says, “Hunters kill farmers every time.”

An outside sales call costs $308, according to Spotio. An inside sales call costs $50.

You can improve your sales team’s skills without burdening your already-overloaded schedule. It’s called BragBird, and it fits into your regular sales meetings. You can also use it for new sales rep training. Because it’s cloud-based, you have constant access to all the content on demand. Here’s a free module so you can take it for a test drive. Click HERE now!

WISDOM

“A fool’s paradise is a wise man’s hell.” – Thomas Fuller

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Did you know that 8.9 percent of Omaha’s labor force works in the finance sector?

Did you know that President Gerald Ford attended the groundbreaking of Bergan Mercy Hospital’s building expansion in 1976? He was joined by Nebraska senators Roman Hruska and Carl Curtis as well as Omaha Mayor Ed Zorinsky, according to the late Omaha historian Howard Hamilton.

Did you know several national media organizations including the Boston Globe and the New York Times have lauded Omaha’s historical, cultural and artistic attractions?

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.

Midwest Best Comedy on October 13th: Join others at Blackstone Theater for a Friday night of laughs and fun! Stand-up comics from the Midwest and beyond are bound to leave you laughing like you never have before. Bring your friends, partner or colleagues to the Blackstone District for this hour-long comedy showcase.

Ghouls & Glow Presented from October 13th-29th: Experience a light-time adventure for the whole family this Halloween at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium during Ghouls & Glow presented by Veridian Credit Union. Walk through more than 400 larger-than-life Halloween lanterns, watch a fire show, dance the night away to drummers and a DJ, visit select animal exhibits after-hours, and of course, trick-or-treat every night! But guess what – there’s even more than that! Get your tickets now to check out all the fun in person!

Ghost Stories at the Granary with Andy Myers on October 14th: Kick back with some delicious food and drinks while you listen to hair-raising true ghost stories told by a paranormal professional. At this spine-tingling special event, you’ll hear true scary stories from nationally acclaimed psychic medium and #1 best-selling author, Andy Myers. He’ll share encounters with ghosts, haunted locations, aliens, shadow figures, portals, time glitches, odd creature sightings and events that defy explanation. This is a 21-and-over show that includes food, drinks and prize giveaways. Goosebumps are guaranteed!

Late Nights at the Zoo: Halloween Edition (21+ Event) on October 19th & 26th: Eat, drink and be scary at our frightfully fun version of Late Nights at the Zoo! Adults 21 and over can sink their teeth into local food truck cuisine and drinks at the most interesting cocktail hour in town. Ticket includes a complimentary drink, access to local food trucks, and the opportunity to experience over 400 Halloween-themed lanterns in Bay Family Children’s Adventure Trails, complemented by festive decorations. Attendees can also enjoy exciting performances, including fire acts by Omaha Circus Arts, a live DJ and music bingo at the newly transformed Spookeasy in the Fisherman’s Landing picnic pavilion.

Haunted TreeRush Halloween from October 19th-22nd: Get ready for a thrilling adventure hosted at the Treerush Adventures in Fontenelle Forest. This beloved Adventure Park is transforming into a haunted haven, promising an unforgettable experience for all brave souls. Step into the eerie atmosphere of the haunted forest, where surprises lurk around every corner. Dare to climb amidst the spooky surroundings and uncover the mysteries that await you. This year’s event is bound to be the best yet, offering an exhilarating blend of excitement, fear and fun for everyone daring enough to join!

This Upcoming Events section is sponsored by Eagle Mortgage Company, is a locally owned and full-service mortgage company in Omaha.

Eagle Mortgage can help you realize your dream of owning a home.

NP Dodge has hired Ryan Boyd as senior vice president for human resources, beginning October 30. She most recently served as director of HR for Lozier. Boyd has experience in the areas of benefits, compensation, onboarding, talent acquisition and human resource technology solution implementations.

Lutz, an Omaha-based business solutions firm, recently added Kris Brown to its Omaha office as a business development manager. He has been a local business owner for more than 10 years. Prior to his business career, he played 12 seasons in the National Football League.

Paul West, a financial advisor with Carson Group, was named to Barron’s Top 100 Independent Advisors list for the sixth year.

On Monday, local anesthesiologist Karsten Bartels will be presented with the American Society of Anesthesiologists James E. Cottrell Presidential Scholar Award at its annual meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Bartels is the Robert Lieberman Endowed Chair in Anesthesiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is the inaugural director of the Robert Lieberman Research Initiative within the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology.

The “People in the News” section is sponsored by Baird Holm LLP. Baird Holm’s dedicated team of real estate lawyers has extensive experience in all aspects of real estate law, including purchases, sales, zoning and land use, leasing, and dispute resolution. Click HERE for more information.

Everybody knows Mr. Market has a distant cousin, Mr. Bond Market. For three decades, Mr. Bond Market operated in the shadows. Then two and a half years ago, the peanut butter hit the fan.

The government started spending money like a drunken sailor – my apologies to my many drunken sailor friends – inflation exploded like a California wild fire, and the Fed joined the fray with their imitation of clowns at a parade. Now, all of a sudden, the cousin is center stage and Mr. Market’s scrambling to figure out what’s going on.

While investors are aware of Mr. Bond Market, they don’t know many details. He’s from the same gene pool as our Mr. Market, but he has different parents. In dollar terms, Mr. Bond Market is $15 trillion larger than Mr. Market. What has Mr. Market’s underwear in a wad is that his clueless cousin has loaned 60 percent of this net worth to the US Treasury.

Mr. Market and his cousin have some similarities, but many differences. Unlike the stock market, the bond market has no central exchange where trades are made and prices reconciled. Almost all bond activity is conducted among deep-pocketed commercial dealers. Unlike the electronic stock market, bond trades are negotiated between two human beings on an old fashioned telephone.

And unlike the stock market, there is no bond market index comparable to the S&P 500, thus mom and pop are unaware of Mr. Bond Market’s recent hissy fit.

However, Cramer and his sycophants are using the yield on the 10-year Treasury note as their benchmark, which has soared over 155 basis points in the last few weeks. During that same period the Fed raised their interest rate 25 basis points.

The conventional wisdom is that when investors buy bonds, they stuff them in a drawer and wait for them to mature. NOT! The institutional buyers – banks, mutual funds, retirement funds and corporations – treat them as profit centers and use them as a holding pot for short term cash. On a dollar basis, there is four-to-fuve times more activity in the bond market than in the stock market.

When the government started its spending spree, they turned to the Treasury to fund it. The Treasury went to the bond market with trillions of dollars’ worth of bonds for Mr. Bond Market to sell. The response of Mr. Bond Market’s friends was under whelming. So, into the fray jumps the Fed yelling, “I’ll buy! I’ll buy!”

The $64,000 question is where will the Fed get the money to pay for the government’s drunken spending spree? In terms even a second grader can understand, they turn on their printing press and just like magic, there it is!

TO BE CONTINUED…

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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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