Season for Eating – Cravings Cured, Cultivated in Greater Omaha
It’s official: Greater Omaha has a sweet spot for the holidays, and our area “foodpreneurs” are feeling festive, dishing up more desserts this December than you can shake a stick (or spatula) at – making appetizing choices abundant on both sides of the Mighty Mo’.
From Carson’s Cookie Fix creating holidays that are “a little sweeter,” to eCreamery celebrating the season with such “chillicious” ice cream flavors as Gingerbread Cookie and White Chocolate Peppermint, there’s no shortage of tempting treats this time of year.
Truth is, whether you crave a cake from Omaha Bakery or Nothing Bundt Cakes, or reach for a Copper Finch Creations Cranberry Walnut Dark Chocolate Chip cookie, you’re contributing to a growth industry that, according to research giant Nielsen, approached nearly $50 billion in revenue last year. That’s good news for everyone in Greater Omaha.
The incredible energy that comes with great eats doesn’t stop there. Omahans are parlaying their affinity for food into a community the New York Times calls a “progressive” place for free time, featuring diverse, affordable cuisine and entertainment.
That’s right, Greater Omaha, your enlightened attitude is hitting the Eastern shore like a We Don’t Coast tsunami, marking Omaha as a place for everyone, and scoring the region a new No. 9 ranking for low cost of living and high quality of life.
Top-ten amenities? We got that! True to your inclusive acumen, Omaha, you’re also home to Greater Omaha Chamber members’ milestones. Take Turnpost Creative Group, for example. The Omaha branding agency turned 25 recently, celebrating a start that began over a conversation between colleagues, and segued into a space on North 85th in Omaha.
Thanks to the momentum of multiple milestones, downtown Omaha redevelopment continues with Conagra’s campus, the project scale of which Greater Omaha Chamber’s president and CEO, David G. Brown, characterizes as “major,” and includes Gene Leahy Mall and riverfront revitalization.
Such forward focus means room for more workers, and Midland University is poised to meet the demand with its new Code Academy, while innovative STEM education at the University of Nebraska Omaha helped create a reimagined foundation for K-12 STEM integration due in part to the launch of Bricklayer, “math and coding through art.”
Now, Greater Omaha, whether you plan to ring in 2019 with Noon Year’s Eve at The Durham Museum, or plan to curl up with a cookie or two (or 12), know that you are the reason this region resonates with holiday cheer, every day of the year.
There’s no place like Greater Omaha, made better by everyone working together, thanks to you.
Happy New Year, Greater Omaha!
Jill Bruckner, Communications/PR Manager, Greater Omaha Chamber
Photography © Anna Finocchiaro 2018
Annual Meeting | Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019
A region preparing to launch into an even more prosperous future.