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The Largest Selection of Wholesale Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Products in Omaha

When it comes to trying new, exciting cuisine, few foods hit the spot like a deliciously fresh Mediterranean meal. However, we know that it can be very difficult to find authentic Mediterranean grocery wholesalers in Omaha, NE. Having lived in metro Atlanta for years, we realized that our customers needed an easy way to find quality wholesale Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food in bulk. That is why we created Nazareth Grocery Mediterranean Market - to give everyone a chance to enjoy tasty, healthy food, desserts, and authentic Mediterranean gifts at wholesale prices.

Founded in 2009, Nazareth Grocery has become one of Omaha's leading international wholesale grocery stores. We are very proud to serve our customers and do everything in our power to give them the largest selection of high-quality wholesale goods available.

If you're looking for the freshest, most delicious Middle Eastern wholesale products and ingredients, you will find them here at the best prices in the state. We encourage you to swing by our store in Marietta to see our selection for yourself. We think that you will be impressed!

The Nazareth Difference

At Nazareth Grocery Mediterranean Market, our mission is simple: bring you and your family the largest selection of wholesale Mediterranean products in Omaha. When coupled with our helpful, friendly staff and authentic Middle Eastern atmosphere, it's easy to see why we are the top Middle Eastern grocery wholesaler in Omaha, NE. We're proud to carry just about every kind of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern product that you can think of, from prepared meals and hookahs to fine seasonings and sweets. We're here for our customers and want each one of them to have a unique, one-of-a-kind experience when they shop with us.

Our loyal customers love our selection of the following wholesale foods and gifts:

  • Fresh Breads
  • OlivesOlives
  • HummusHummus
  • CheesesCheeses
  • SaucesSauces
  • Savory-FoodsSavory Foods
  • DessertsDesserts
  • DrinksDrinks
  • HookahsHookahs
  • TobaccoTobacco
  • SaucesGifts
  • Much More!Much More!

Our Service Areas

Most Popular Wholesale Mediterranean Foods

There is so much more to Mediterranean food than pizza and pasta. The perfect climate combined with delicious foods and amazing wine makes the Mediterranean incredibly irresistible. That's why our customers absolutely love to buy this kind of cuisine in bulk. Every country in this region has its own set of specialties and delicacies, each with its own flavors and styles of preparation.

Mediterranean countries include:

  • France
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • Turkey
  • Syria
  • Egypt
  • Israel
  • Libya
  • Morocco
  • Tunisia
  • Spain
Mediterranean Grocery Omaha, NE

So, when it comes to the most popular wholesale Mediterranean products in Omaha,
what are we talking about?

 Mediterranean Supermarkets Omaha, NE

Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a classic Mediterranean dairy product that is often enjoyed on its own, in Greek salads, on bread, or mixed with zucchini. Depending on where the feta is sourced and produced, the cheese can be made from cow, sheep, or goat milk, or even a combination of the three. Regardless of the animal it comes from, this delicious cheese is a crowd favorite.

 Mediterranean Grocery Store Omaha, NE

Baba Ganoush

This Levantine dish is one of the most well-known Mediterranean dishes to eat in the United States. It typically comes in the form of a dip, served with pita or another kind of dipping bread. Commonly served before dinner as an appetizer of sorts, it usually features tahini, eggplant, garlic, spices, and sometimes yogurt. This tasty cuisine works great as a spread on a sandwich, or you can even eat it with a spoon, all on its own.

 Middle Eastern Grocery Omaha, NE

Baklava

If you have never tried authentic baklava before, get ready to have your mind blown. This dessert is a traditional Mediterranean food that will have your taste buds craving more and more. Once you open a box of baklava from our Mediterranean grocery wholesaler in Omaha, NE, you won't want to stop eating! Baklava is made with layers of thin filo dough, which is layered together, filled with chopped nuts (think pistachios), and sealed with honey or syrup. Baklava is so good that its origins are debated, leaving many wondering which country invented the dessert. Everyone from the Turks to the Greeks and even Middle Easterners hold unique takes on baklava. Try each one to discover your favorite!

Most Popular Wholesale Middle Eastern Foods

Fresh, healthy, aromatic, rich: it's no wonder that the popularity of Middle Eastern cuisine and products has skyrocketed in the United States. This genre of cuisine features a large variety of foods, from Halvah to Labneh. If there were one common theme throughout all Middle Eastern food, it would be the bright, vibrant herbs and spices that are used. These flavorings help create rich, complex flavors that foodies fawn over. Typically, Middle Eastern food is piled high for all to eat, with enough food for an entire republic to put down.

 Mediterranean Food Stores Omaha, NE

Tabbouleh

This refreshing, healthy dish is chock-full of greens, herbs, tomatoes, and bulgur (or cracked wheat), creating a memorable, bold flavor. This dish may be eaten on its own or paired with a shawarma sandwich or helping of falafel. It's best to buy your ingredients in bulk to make this dish because it tastes best freshly made with family around to enjoy. Just be sure to bring a toothpick to the tabbouleh party - you're almost certain to have some leafy greens stuck in your teeth after eating.

 Middle Eastern Market Omaha, NE

Shawarma

We mentioned shawarma above, and for good reason - this dish is enjoyed by men and women around the world, and of course, right here in the U.S. Except for falafel, this might be the most popular Middle Eastern food item in history. Shawarma is kind of like a Greek gyro, with slow-roasted meat stuffed in laffa with veggies and sauce. The blend of spices and the smoky meat mix together to create a tangy, meaty flavor that you will want to keep eating for hours. For western-style shawarma, try using beef or chicken. For a more traditional meal, try using lamb from our Middle Eastern grocery distributor in Omaha, NE.

 Greek Grocery Store Omaha, NE

Hummus

Traditionally used as a dip meant for fresh pita, hummus is a combo of chickpeas, garlic, and tahini, blended together until silky, smooth, and creamy. You can find hummus in just about any appetizer section of a Middle Eastern restaurant menu. That's because it's considered a staple of Middle Eastern food that can be enjoyed by itself, as a spread, or with fresh-baked pita bread. Hummus is also very healthy, making it a no-brainer purchase from our grocery store.

Benefits of Eating a Mediterranean Diet

If there's one diet that is most well-known for its health benefits, it has got to be the Mediterranean diet. In 2019, U.S. News & World Report listed the Mediterranean diet as No. 1 on its best over diet list. This incredible diet has been cited to help with weight loss, brain health, heart health, diabetes prevention, and cancer prevention.

Whether you already love Mediterranean food or you're looking to make some positive changes in your life, this "diet" is for you. Eating cuisine like Greek food, Persian food, Turkish food, and Italian food is healthy and tastes great. Even better than that? At Nazareth Wholesale Grocery, we have many staples of the Mediterranean diet for sale in bulk so that you can stock up on your favorites at the best prices around.

So, what exactly is the Mediterranean diet?

It is a way of eating that incorporates traditional Greek, Italian, and other Mediterranean cultures' foods. These foods are often plant-based and make up the foundation of the diet, along with olive oil. Fish, seafood, dairy, and poultry are also included in moderation. Red meat and sweets are only eaten in moderation, not in abundance. Mediterranean food includes many forms of nuts, fruits, vegetables, fish, seeds, and more. Of course, you can find at them all at our wholesale Mediterranean grocery store!

Here are just a few of the many benefits of eating a healthy Mediterranean diet:

Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

Reduced Risk
of Heart Disease

Many studies have been conducted on this diet, many of which report that Mediterranean food is excellent for your heart. Some of the most promising evidence comes from a randomized clinical trial published in 2013. For about five years, researchers followed 7,000 men and women around the country of Spain. These people had type 2 diabetes or were at a high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants in the study who ate an unrestricted Mediterranean diet with nuts and extra-virgin olive oil were shown to have a 30% lower risk of heart events.

Reduced Risk of Stroke for Women

Reduced Risk
of Stroke for Women

In addition to the heart-healthy benefits of a Mediterranean diet, studies have shown that eating healthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods can reduce the chances of stroke in women. The study was conducted in the U.K., which included women between the ages of 40 and 77. Women who stuck to the Mediterranean diet showed a lower risk of having a stroke - especially women who were at high risk of having one.

Benefits of Eating a Mediterranean Diet

First and foremost, purchase your Mediterranean and Middle Eastern wholesale foods from Nazareth Grocery - we're always updating our inventory! Getting started on this healthy, delicious diet is easy.

Try these tips:

Try these tips

1.

Instead of unhealthy sweets like candy and ice cream, try eating fresh fruit instead. It's refreshing, tasty, and often packed with great vitamins and nutrients.

2.

Try eating fish twice a week, in lieu of red meat. Fish is much healthier and doesn't have the unfortunate side effects of red meat, like inflammation.

3.

Try planning out your meals using beans, whole grains, and veggies. Don't start with meats and sweets.

4.

They're tasty, but try to avoid processed foods completely.

5.

Instead of using butter to flavor your food, use extra virgin olive oil instead. Olive oil contains healthy fats and tastes great too.

6.

Try to get more exercise and get out of the house. The Mediterranean lifestyle is an active one, best enjoyed in the beautiful sunshine when possible.

Why Buy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Products Wholesale?

Buying wholesale and retail are quite different. When you buy products from a wholesaler, you're essentially buying from the middleman between a retail establishment and the manufacturer. Wholesale purchases are almost always made in bulk. Because of that, buyers pay a discounted price. That's great for normal buyers and great for business owners, who can sell those products to profit. This higher price is called the retail price, and it is what traditional customers pay when they enter a retail store.

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 Middle Eastern Store Omaha, NE

Latest News in Omaha, NE

Omaha man who collected 'investments' arrested for theft by deception

Steven J. Sempeck, 60, of Omaha was taken into custody on Friday, Oct. 13 for theft by deception and booked into the Cass County Detention Center at 8:34 p.m., according to information on the Cass County Sheriff’s Office website. He was released on Monday, Oct. 16.According to a report from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Sempeck approached a Plattsmouth woman on March 17, 2022 about investing in a bowling alley he was managing. She then met with Sempeck and owner Steven Kucirek at the bowling alley at 601 Chateau Drive ...

Steven J. Sempeck, 60, of Omaha was taken into custody on Friday, Oct. 13 for theft by deception and booked into the Cass County Detention Center at 8:34 p.m., according to information on the Cass County Sheriff’s Office website. He was released on Monday, Oct. 16.

According to a report from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Sempeck approached a Plattsmouth woman on March 17, 2022 about investing in a bowling alley he was managing. She then met with Sempeck and owner Steven Kucirek at the bowling alley at 601 Chateau Drive in Bellevue. She agreed to invest in the bowling alley and was to receive 3% of the profits after the first year. She delivered a cashier’s check for $25,000 to Sempeck at the bowling alley on April 12, 2022.

A month later, Sempeck contacted her again and said he needed $5,000 more, and she met him at her mother’s assisted living facility in Omaha and gave him a cashier’s check for that amount. On July 5, 2022, Sempeck contacted her yet again and asked for a short-term loan of $25,000. He came to her home, and she wrote him a personal check for $25,000, the report stated. She asked him later about paying the loan back in September, then November 2022, but he said he could not pay it. She asked him several more times, she said, but each time he refused to pay it and said she should only deal with him and not contact Kucirek.

Eventually, she did contact Kucirek, who said he had fired Sempeck in May 2023. He said none of the money she had given Sempeck had been used for the bowling alley. She confronted Sempeck about this, and he admitted he had used the money for something else but still refused to pay it back, according to the report.

In a message he posted on The Alley’s Facebook page on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, Kucirek said he was not aware of Sempeck’s activities.

“Completely unbeknownst to myself, the owner, Mr. Sempeck had been falsely representing my company and the bowling alley,” Kucirek said in the Facebook post. He said he had been in contact with Sempeck’s accusers.

“I have also, on numerous occasions, been in contact with local authorities and have provided full and complete cooperation with investigators,” he said in the post.

Work on the facility has continued, and Sempeck’s arrest will not cause a “major setback,” Kucirek said.

The Alley is still receiving new furniture and equipment and has not yet announced an opening date.

New mural brings color to Ardent Mills flour plant in South Omaha

West of U.S. Highway 75 just south of the Interstate 80 interchange in South Omaha sits a group of silos owned by flour manufacturer Ardent Mills.For decades, they were anonymous — just concrete gray structures. Now, they catch the eye with a colorful mural titled “Starseeds.”The “Starseeds” mural, whose creation was led by local artist Sarah Rowe, spans the 15 silos and depicts songbirds flying in a Nebraska sky that also features a sun and thunderstorm. It is located at the Ardent Mills plant at ...

West of U.S. Highway 75 just south of the Interstate 80 interchange in South Omaha sits a group of silos owned by flour manufacturer Ardent Mills.

For decades, they were anonymous — just concrete gray structures. Now, they catch the eye with a colorful mural titled “Starseeds.”

The “Starseeds” mural, whose creation was led by local artist Sarah Rowe, spans the 15 silos and depicts songbirds flying in a Nebraska sky that also features a sun and thunderstorm. It is located at the Ardent Mills plant at 2900 C St.

Other elements of the mural include two pillars of wheat and Rowe’s depiction of the Lakota people’s sacred Heyoka clown.

“I wanted to honor what’s happening here,” Rowe said at the unveiling of the mural Saturday. “I absolutely adore the Nebraska skies. … I wanted to celebrate this enormous structure that’s part of our landscape here and celebrate the colors of the sky like the sunrise on (the mural’s left) side and the thunderstorm on the other side.”

The mural adds a bit more color to the workday for Maureen Heffernan and her nearly 60 colleagues at the Omaha Ardent Mills plant.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Heffernan, a production manager. “It’s quite an addition.”

Rowe, who led the mural’s creation through the Faith Foundation’s Art + Infrastructure public art project, spent about six months conceptualizing and painting the mural in collaboration with Richard Harrison and his band of artists from A Midsummer’s Mural. Omaha By Design served as a facilitator for the mural project.

“We just really believe in shaping a city that is more vibrant and inclusive,” said Scott Dobbe, executive director of Omaha By Design. “Public art says something great about that. It says this is a place where creativity is valued. This is a place where all of us can benefit from the public realm that showcases those values.”

Across the Sky

Across the Sky

The Lee Weather Team hosts a fast-paced weekly podcast that tackles hot topics (and cold!) plus what’s trending in meteorology, science and climate. The show isn't limited to hard science as our hosts and guests tug at your emotions from stories out in the elements. The Lee Weather team features Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | Omny Studio

The project started after an Ardent Mills employee suggested having a mural depicted at the Omaha plant, said Samantha Bryant, the plant manager for Ardent Mills’ facilities in Nebraska.

“This facility was built in 1926,” Bryant said. “We’ve been part of the South Omaha community for almost 100 years so far. It was really something we wanted to do: To be able to serve the community in a different way and provide some beauty.”

Ardent Mills is no stranger with having murals on its buildings, Bryant said. Two other plants — Denver and Mankato, Minnesota — also have murals.

Similarly, Harrison also has experience creating murals particularly in South Omaha. With that experience, he, along with Zach Storz, Mike Giron, Benter Mock, Amelia Koneck, Mary Ensz, Weston Thomson, David Manzanares, Holly Carey and Rowe who all worked on the mural, was able to identify and execute techniques to create a mural that will stand up to the elements.

Those techniques include the use of doodle grids, Photoshop sketching, and paint that is resistant to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

“We did a perspective from a point up by the highway. Every time we tried to analyze whether we liked the lines going through things or not, we got on a ladder over the fence up by a highway so we could see if we liked the perspective,” Harrison said.

What resulted is a “Starseeds” mural that will be catching eyes for decades to come.

“It will outlive me, that’s for sure,” Rowe said.

Development

Golf notes: Creighton senior sets school-record

Creighton senior Shaun Campbell’s dazzling finish on the Throw Down Up Top at the new Landmand, north of Homer, Nebraska, helped the Bluejays to a school-record score of 35 under for 54 holes. They were 18 under in the second round, another program record.Campbell received Big East golfer of the week honors for his second college victory. The New Zealander finished at 10-under 209, closing with a 73 after being 5-over before his late barrage.Grant Feldman was third, with Owen Price and Omaha Skutt grad Charlie Zielinski t...

Creighton senior Shaun Campbell’s dazzling finish on the Throw Down Up Top at the new Landmand, north of Homer, Nebraska, helped the Bluejays to a school-record score of 35 under for 54 holes. They were 18 under in the second round, another program record.

Campbell received Big East golfer of the week honors for his second college victory. The New Zealander finished at 10-under 209, closing with a 73 after being 5-over before his late barrage.

Grant Feldman was third, with Owen Price and Omaha Skutt grad Charlie Zielinski tying for fifth. Jake Boor from Creighton Prep had a 6-under 67 in the second round.

Creighton's team title was its third in the last 20 years among events with more than five teams. Feldman and Zielinski shared Big East honors in mid-September.

Nebraska women: Kelli Ann Strand and Michaela Vavrova have been Big Ten golfers of the week. Each has a scoring average better than 72.

Nebraska men: The Huskers had their first winning head-to-head record (38-35-1) in the fall since 2012-13. They were in the top third in invitationals hosted by Wisconsin and Purdue. Harry Crockett, from England, had the fall’s best finish with a tie for third at the Little Rock Classic last week.

Creighton women: Eleanor Hudepohl was Big East golfer of the week twice after her third-place tie at the rain-shortened Big O Classic was her 11th consecutive top-15 finish. The streak ended in the Jays’ final fall event. Their best finish was eighth out of 17 at the Missouri State meet to open the fall.

UNO men: The Mavericks tied Creighton’s split-squad for first at the Big O Classic at Indian Creek. They were fifth at Landmand, where Josh Peters from Millard North was eighth as an individual. Christopher Atkinson from Gretna has had three consecutive top-20 finishes.

UNO women: Macarena Garcia set the Mavs’ 54-hole scoring record with a 3-over 219 at Missouri’s invitational. They were sixth. Nicole Hansen and Elkhorn North grad Emily Karmazin had top-20 finishes at the Loyola-Chicago meet.

Men elsewhere: Luke Gutschewski from Omaha (Elkhorn Mount Michael) is holding the lowest career scoring average all-time at Iowa State. He had all three rounds in the 60s to win Drake’s invitational. Luke Kluver from Norfolk went 4-0 for Oklahoma in the Big 12 Match Play, winning his matches by a total of 20 holes. He tied for fifth, shooting a career-low 67 in the final round, at the season-opening event in San Antonio.

Women elsewhere: Kaitlyn Hanna from Omaha Westside is playing No. 1 for Iowa, which has one tournament left in the fall. She had a career-best tie for 12th at Texas Tech’s tournament. Nicole Kolbas from Lincoln Pius X has played in two of Indiana’s first four events. Kate Strickland from Lincoln returned to the Oral Roberts lineup for its final fall event.

Omaha’s new Lost Rail Golf Club has been a double winner this year in awards determined by Golf Inc.

The magazine said Lost Rail was voted “Clubhouse of the Year” after it was named one of the world’s top three new private clubs.

The 10,517 square-foot clubhouse, resembling a 1920s Tudor mansion, offers views of the Platte and Elkhorn River valleys.

“It’s a second home with a first-rate view,” one of Golf Inc.’s judges wrote.

In the new private club judging, Lost Rail was third.

“Unique golf course well fitted to the land. The only-golf setting with a reasonable size clubhouse is refreshing," judge Tripp Davis wrote.

Lost Rail was designed by Scott Hoffman, built by Landscapes Unlimited and operated by sister company Landscapes Golf Management.

Landmand was third in Golf Inc.’s category of best new resort/daily fee course.

Making it to second stage of the PGA Tour’s revamped qualifying tournament were Alex Schaake from Omaha, Nate Vontz from Lincoln and Noah Hofman from McCook.

Schaake tied for fourth in a first-stage event at Muskogee, Oklahoma. His brother, Carson, shot 66 in the final round at Maricopa, Arizona, but missed advancing by one stroke.

Vontz birdied the 18th at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln to advance on the number at 3 under. Alex Scott from Michigan won the event in blustery conditions.

Hofman made it by two strokes at Albuquerque, New Mexico. He and Carson Schaake had limited status on last year’s Korn Ferry Tour, getting into only the Pinnacle Bank Championship at Indian Creek through sponsor exemptions.

Next year’s PBC will keep its spot on the Korn Ferry Tour, playing at Indian Creek Aug. 8-11.?

First graduates of new OFD-Creighton paramedic partnership program celebrated

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - After 10 months of grueling work, hundreds of hours of classes and training, 11 Omaha firefighters are ready to take on their new roles in the department.Saturday morning, the on-duty officers graduated from the first-ever paramedic partnership program between Creighton University and the Omaha Fire Department.“On the fire department, over 85% of the calls are actually medical calls,” says Rebecca Phillips, who has been with OFD for three years. “Before, I would ride on a truck or an engin...

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - After 10 months of grueling work, hundreds of hours of classes and training, 11 Omaha firefighters are ready to take on their new roles in the department.

Saturday morning, the on-duty officers graduated from the first-ever paramedic partnership program between Creighton University and the Omaha Fire Department.

“On the fire department, over 85% of the calls are actually medical calls,” says Rebecca Phillips, who has been with OFD for three years. “Before, I would ride on a truck or an engine and respond to calls, help the paramedics, and then go back to the station, now I’ll be on the ambulance, responding to calls, transporting those patients to the hospital, writing those reports, and basically doing all the patient care from start to finish.”

Phillips is one of the 11 graduates. She says even though it’s much more work, being a paramedic is something she’s always wanted to do.

“Actually my goal was always to get on the fire department and be a paramedic, so being here, going through this course just fulfills goals that I had even before getting on the fire department, I love the emergency medicine aspect of pre-hospital work, I love being on an ambulance so far, so I was just really excited and grateful to take that step,” she says.

As the community continues to grow, program organizers say the partnership between Creighton and OFD is exactly what the city needs.

“There’s a huge workforce gap, huge increased demand post covid economy, just a lot more people in need of critical care,” says Dan Stein, the OFD paramedic program coordinator. “OFD, as they’re starting to see their numbers diminish in paramedics and advanced life support, Creighton and Omaha came together and said let’s be proactive about it, and let’s create a program that can thrive and succeed in this environment.”

Having women and men who are as dedicated to caring for and protecting the community as the 11 graduates honored on Saturday is something to be celebrated, Stein adds.

“It shows the commitment they have to themselves but also to the community, wanting to know their job but knowing it at the top tier of it, where they go into a situation and can be a person that has an answer. it’s a great thing to have I think the taxpayers should be proud of what happening behind the scenes at the Omaha Fire Department.”

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For 20 years, Omaha pair have been patrons of ‘Americana’ music

Sunday Roadhouse series has hosted dozens of performers, including Lake Street Dive, Lucinda Williams and Todd RundgrenLINCOLN — You could call it “Two Guys and a Concert Series.”But just recently, two guys from Omaha — Dean Dobmeier and Gary Grobeck — celebrated 20 years of bringing music they love to audiences in Omaha and Lincoln.Their act is known as the “Sunday Roadhouse” series. They have staged about 200 concerts in halls and nightclubs in Omaha and Lincoln, featuring 80...

Sunday Roadhouse series has hosted dozens of performers, including Lake Street Dive, Lucinda Williams and Todd Rundgren

LINCOLN — You could call it “Two Guys and a Concert Series.”

But just recently, two guys from Omaha — Dean Dobmeier and Gary Grobeck — celebrated 20 years of bringing music they love to audiences in Omaha and Lincoln.

Their act is known as the “Sunday Roadhouse” series. They have staged about 200 concerts in halls and nightclubs in Omaha and Lincoln, featuring 80 artists, since 2003.

It’s a part-time labor of love for Dobmeier, an account manager who used to book bands for the long-defunct Jones Street Brewery in Omaha, and Grobeck, a former construction contractor who now works as a building inspector for the City of Omaha.

After the brewery closed down, Dobmeier said he was enjoying a few drinks with Grobeck, his brother-in-law, after a show at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, when the conversation turned to bands they’d seen there. So many of those incredible acts, however, never make it to Nebraska, he said.

‘We can do this’

“I looked at Gary and said, ‘We should bring this stuff to Omaha. We can do this,’ ” Dobmeier said.

The pair books the bands and lines up sponsors to help support the cost of the performances, which initially included building a stage in some venues. The Sunday Roadhouse series has been held at several sites, with the nightclubs keeping the proceeds from drinks. Mostly, the series has used locales in the Benson area of Omaha, such as the Waiting Room and the smaller Reverb Lounge.

“They’re a giant part of the music scene in Omaha,” said Steve Monson, a long-time drummer for the Linoma Mashers”and other Omaha groups.

Unlike for-profit music promoters, Dobmeier and Grobeck are patrons of the arts, paying to bring bands they like that are touring near Nebraska. Each year, ticket sales have been enough to finance more shows.

“They have good taste in music, and they’re willing to do what they need to do,” Monson said. “They take the risks.”

Dobmeier, who once played in the long-gone Omaha rock band, Norman and the Rockwells, said the standard for being booked for a Sunday Roadhouse show is, “We have to like it.”

“We’re not going to waste your time or money here folks — this is going to be good,” he said.

They call them “curated” shows because they select carefully chosen performers they’ve checked out and want to bring to Nebraska.

“If they don’t knock us out, we don’t want to do it,” Grobeck said.

Americana music

They describe the style of music they present as “Americana,” a catch-all for all kinds of roots-inspired music, from blues and rock, jazz and folk, and twang and soul.

They have booked national acts such as Todd Rundgren, Dave Alvin, Lucinda Williams, James McMurtry and Ray Wiley Hubbard, best known for the country-western outlaw anthem “Redneck Mother.”

They booked Lake Street Dive, which originated in Boston, before it became famous, and they keep booking performers they feel should be better appreciated, such as California singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet.

“I think people trust our judgment,” Dobmeier said.

Johnny Iguana, the founder and keyboard player for the Chicago-based indie rock/pop band The Claudettes, said he enjoys playing the Sunday Roadhouse shows because they attract an audience of “real music heads” who are there to appreciate the music.

A real ‘listening’ crowd

“It’s nice to play in a place where there’s energy but also when you turn it down, you can hear a pin drop. It’s a real listening room,” said Iguana, who has toured with Junior Wells and Otis Rush, and played on albums that featured Mick Jagger and Johnny Winters.

The Sunday Roadhouse shows, as the name implies, are usually held on Sundays.

They typically begin early, at 5 p.m., because, Grobeck said, the pair didn’t want their shows to take away patrons “from people trying to make a living at this.”

The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge — venues shut down, musicians stopped touring — and the series was suspended for two years. This year, the Sunday Roadhouse booked only four shows, instead of the typical 10 to 12. (The next show, on Nov. 18, features New Orleans-stalwarts “The Iguanas,” featuring Omaha native Joe Cabral.)

Similar music series in McCook ended

People and performers, Dobmeier said, still haven’t returned to going out like they did before the pandemic.

The pandemic, and the shortage of performers still touring, was a part of the reason a similar, long-running curated music series in McCook, recently closed down.

Dale Dueland, a local farmer, and Matt Sehnert, a bakery/restaurant owner, focused on “emerging acts” they saw. But their series never returned after the pandemic, in part because Sehnert sold the venue.

Dobmeier said he and Grobeck plan to keep booking shows, though they’re now more likely to discover acts at Kansas City’s annual “Folk Alliance International Conference” or at regional venues at the recommendation of friends.

“We always have our eyes and ears open,” Dobmeier said.

Both Grobeck and Dobmeier said there’s nothing like looking out over a crowd at one of the Roadhouse shows and watching people enjoy the same music they do.

“It makes life worth living,” Dobmeier said. “It’s one of the pleasures of life, and there’s nothing else like it.”

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