For the last five years, the Homy Inn has been a true home away from home for me. I have been there every Tuesday night for about as long as I have been of legal drinking age. I meet up with good friends like Jordan, Pete, Jen, Hal, Jeff, Ben and many others who are all regulars.
Recently the OWH had a little write up on my little neighborhood hang out. It is funny that the Homy has become a new Omaha pop-culture phenomenon… the hip people can hang out right along side the regulars. The funny thing is that the regulars don’t care who the hip people are… neither do I.
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From: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2620&u_sid=2388207
Published Tuesday | May 22, 2007
Homy Inn makes everyone feel at home
BY JOSEFINA LOZA
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A typical night at the Homy Inn starts at one in the afternoon.
They poke their heads in to watch big-screen TVs, sip on beer and catch up on gossip - usually from the night before. They have their own chairs at the end of the bar. They’re the best seats in the house because they’re near the door. The regulars get to see everyone who walks in.
The Homy attracts laborers, college students and granddads; former CEOs, professors and lawyers. They sit side by side sipping drinks and grubbing on peanuts served in dog bowls. It also attracts the occasional celebrity, like Conor Oberst, lead singer-songwriter of Bright Eyes.
The décor is far from upscale - rough wood walls are decorated with old newspapers. But it serves champagne on tap alongside the standard beer - one reason it was named among the “Best Bars in America” in the June issue of Esquire magazine.
The bar stands alone on North Saddle Creek Drive, not far from a used-car lot and a Laundromat. Sgt. Peffer’s, a pizza place, is across the street. Modest homes snuggle close by.
Don Larimer, 63, doesn’t live too far away.
He has salt-and-pepper hair he covers with a baseball cap. He knows just about everyone in the bar by first name. He’s generous with hugs and handshakes. More than likely, you’ll catch him there at least three nights a week for a beer and a baseball game.
Larimer retired from IBM a few years ago. He’s divorced, and his grown kids live in Portland, Ore. But he’s never alone. He has plenty of friends at the Homy.
He prefers to watch ESPN at the Homy rather than by himself at home.
“It’s a place where people can hang out with their friends and make new ones,” he said.
Homy history
- The late Maynard Finkle opened the tavern at 1510 N. Saddle Creek Road in 1956.
- Back then it was an eatery, too. Maynard gave the bar a Western look. It was his style. He was a belt-buckle-wearing kind of guy. The champagne on tap was his idea - a way to compete with the Champelle-serving bars around town.
- Today, the Homy’s signature drink costs $3.95 a glass. Son Terry Finkle, now 48, took over the bar in 1985.
- If you go Bartender Jen Dibbern shares a few tips for making the most of a visit to the Homy Inn:
- Parking: After 9 p.m., parking is a problem. Carpool or park in neighboring lots.
- Best time to go: Hours are 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. It’s usually packed after dinner hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
- Getting a drink: Be patient, wait in line. Lick your lips. Give bartenders the thirsty look - they’ll recognize that. Make sure you know what you’re ordering and have your money ready.
- Restroom run: Join the table closest to the restroom in casual conversation. It’ll make your wait time go by quicker.
- Peanuts and popcorn: Yes, it’s only bar food served in dog dishes. But they’re not to be used as projectiles. Peanuts are $1. Popcorn is free.
- Be nice: It’s a small bar. People usually share tables. If you have issues with personal space, you’re going to be in trouble.
- The late Maynard Finkle started the Homy as an eatery - serving hamburgers and footlong chili dogs - with a Western ambience. The Western motif remains. That was Finkle’s style. He was a belt-buckle-wearing guy who made sure the bar had a natural wood exterior when he opened it in 1956.
The champagne on tap was also Finkle’s idea. It was his way of keeping up with bars around town. Today, the Homy’s signature drink costs $3.95 a glass.
Son Terry Finkle, now 48, took over the bar in 1985.
Under his management, the Homy has evolved from a quiet lounge to a popular nightspot. He made a few minor changes. He took out the grill four years ago, allowing more space for storage and seating. The grill was too much to keep up with.
Terry kept the peanuts and dog bowls, though.
“When we started offering peanuts 20 years ago, I didn’t want nut shells thrown all over the floor,” he said. “So I bought the bowls. On one side I wrote shells to get everyone trained. They all do pretty well.”
Two walls are lined with a collection of newspaper front pages highlighting historical events - the beginning and end of wars, natural disasters and the capture of legendary criminals. Terry found the old newspapers in his grandma’s house years ago.
Collections of mugs and tap handles, beer cans and coasters and political buttons are displayed throughout the bar. The collections amuse patrons - and start some conversations.
Maynard’s collection of 3,000 Jim Beam decanters line a section of shelving. And part of the ceiling is covered with various menus. Miss Omaha 1930 gave them to Maynard years ago. In return, she asked for free champagne for herself and a few friends. He gave her five years’ worth.
On a recent Thursday night, regulars occupied all the seats at the L-shaped bar. Most of them were at least 45. Younger patrons sat at jampacked tables spread throughout the room.
That was Jen Dibbern behind the bar. She’s a slender blonde who’s quick on her feet.
“Hey! What’s up?” she shouted to a regular customer. He came over, and she handed him a pitcher of beer. She already knew his order.
Dibbern has been bartending at the Homy for six years. But she’s been a part of the Homy family for much longer.
“I’m a third-generation Homy girl,” she said. “My grandfather used to drink here. Dad took over a business nearby, and I used to go to Homy for hot dogs as a little girl.”
Now she’s serving drinks and sharing stories with the people she meets.
Like when the bar had a wedding for a couple of regulars in 1981. A judge on an evening jog was flagged down to perform the ceremony. Terry brought the flowers.
Or when Paramount considered filming a movie at the bar. And when musicians and actors - Oberst, Dave Foley, Maroon 5 - visit.
And did you know that the Homy is in a murder mystery novel - the “murder” happened at the Homy and police chased the shooter down Saddle Creek Road.
“This is the exact opposite of a meat market,” said regular Nicky Kershaw, 33. “People come here to be with each other.”
A couple nights ago, for example, about a dozen cowboys in hats and boots dropped in to chug down brewskies. The following night, guys dressed as Darth Vader and his “Star Wars” friends had shots while others wearing tuxedos toasted with champagne.
“Only at the Homy,” Dibbern joked. “You meet thousands of different people because it’s so small and people have to share tables. If you have issues of your space, then you’re in trouble. That’s just our environment.”
