Bohemian Cafe closing.

mr. omaha · Post by **mr. omaha** » Sat May 23, 2015 6:11 pm

Someone just told me they are closing July 1??? Please tell me it ain't so!!!!!!!

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sun May 24, 2015 9:02 am

I hope not, that is where my wife and I have gone for Valentine's day the past 3 years...we were starting to make a tradition of it.

Post by **Coyote** » Sun May 24, 2015 9:08 am

I don't know if it is closing, but there is a rumor out there about this...

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Sun May 24, 2015 8:19 pm

If they do close it could definitely be due to a lack of advertising and branding themself as an Omaha institution.

Post by **Coyote** » Sun May 24, 2015 10:43 pm

Linkin5 wrote:If they do close it could definitely be due to a lack of advertising and branding themself as an Omaha institution.

That place used to advertise, I still remember the corny musical jingle, "Dumplings and Kraut today, at the Bohemian Cafe..."
But I haven't heard that in a long time...

Post by **Brad** » Sun May 24, 2015 11:29 pm

There was a tour buss there on Thursday evening. Seems to be a lot busier than some of the other "old school places". May be they don't have any kids that are interested in taking it over.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Mon May 25, 2015 10:13 am

I think even up until last year they would always advertise in the Go section of the paper. There are tour buses there all the time. I think they may work in conjunction with some of the casino tours.

E_L_Cut · Post by **E_L_Cut** » Thu May 28, 2015 8:56 pm

Is there anything more to go on than rumor? Any articles or official announcements?

If this is true I would be deeply saddened.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri May 29, 2015 7:15 am

I've never seen anyone under age 50 eating or drinking in there. That is pretty telling.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri May 29, 2015 8:00 am

nativeomahan wrote:I've never seen anyone under age 50 eating or drinking in there. That is pretty telling.

Granted it was Valentines day but there were a lot of young couples eating there this year.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri May 29, 2015 8:04 am

Go into the Bohemian Cafe any weekend and you will see the place emptied out by 8 pm. As in practically deserted. The geezers eat at 6 pm and are home and in bed by 9.
And I write this from the perspective of being a pre-geezer. I find the food at the Bohemian Cafe visually unattractive and practically inedible. I do love the bread and the Pilsner Urquel, however.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Fri May 29, 2015 8:53 am

I was there once several years ago and didnt care for it. The two guys I went with... both over 50 ;)

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:34 am

I hate to say it as well but I went once several years ago and was not a fan either. I hate to see local restaurant icons close but this is one I would not miss.

Greg

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:36 am

I used to hate the Bohemian cafe, but I really like their Czech goulash. Other than that, the food is distinct and I know a lot of people don't care for it.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:57 am

I saw an article in the paper yesterday stating that they are closing from July 3 - 8, but they strongly stated that they will reopen after that. I wonder what that means....are they doing some renovating, going on vacation, changing the menu.

Post by **Coyote** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 10:07 am

Bohemian Cafe to close for July 4th weekend

Sarah Baker Hansen: World-Herald staff writer wrote:The Bohemian Cafe will be closed in early July for a few days, but co-owner Marsha Bogatz promises that the restaurant is not closing. The restaurant will be closed for the holiday weekend July 4-7 and will reopen July 8.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 1:14 pm

We will know in 5 weeks.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Tue May 10, 2016 7:03 pm

The Bohemian Cafe will permanently close in September, unless someone who want to keep it open buys the restaurant.

Bohemian Cafe to close in September

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue May 10, 2016 9:15 pm

Sad to see...my wife and I have eaten there on Valentine's Day each year for the past 5 years. We even had someone pay for our whole dinner 2 years ago when we went with our infant daughter. My wife was so touched that she started to cry. We basically were going to take our food to go after it came since our daughter was crying after a long day at a car dealership buying a car. We didn't want to disturb others on Valentine's Day so we took turns taking our daughter into the other room. I came back after a few minutes and my wife had tears in her eyes because someone had paid our bill. It really made our day special since we were all tired. (maybe someone just wanted us out of there, but it was a great moment of generosity from an anonymous person)

Post by **Coyote** » Tue May 10, 2016 10:14 pm

I hope someone steps up to keep it open, but I doubt this will happen.
I fell in love with Pilsner Urquell here.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Wed May 11, 2016 5:32 am

Very sad here!

Well-loved and well-established local places struggle while the cookie-cutter suburban chains appear to thrive.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Wed May 11, 2016 9:56 am

Coyote wrote:I hope someone steps up to keep it open, but I doubt this will happen.
I fell in love with Pilsner Urquell here.

I agree! The liver dumpling soup is good, and so is the 1/2 duck. I definitely don't want to see it go... There are a zillion chains that all make food about the same; the uniqueness of a place like this is truly part of a dying breed.

Oh well, I guess there is always Applebee's.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed May 11, 2016 12:45 pm

This closing is very unfortunate indeed..

I was born in the early 60's. It's a shame within my lifetime, how many iconic local/family owned Omaha restaurants have fallen prey to this unfortunate end...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Post by **nebugeater** » Wed May 11, 2016 1:02 pm

These places have morphed into an event place where people go once or twice a year for many people and not a reg destination like they used to be. Go for an anniversary, birthday, Holiday and drive past it for many other times that someone goes out to dine and this is going to happen.

The places need(ed) to stay relevant in a changing market but at the same time not changing is what many want. Hard tightrope to walk.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed May 11, 2016 11:26 pm

nebugeater wrote:The places need(ed) to stay relevant in a changing market but at the same time not changing is what many want. Hard tightrope to walk.

Agreed. And I'd add that if the offspring of the original family owners have little or no interest in keeping the family restaurant alive and relevant, it typically spells doom. The main reason a local place like Petrow's is still alive and going strong, is that that the son- Nick Petrow, willingly took the mantle of his father to run the place..and maintain the long standing original regular customers, but also tweek the menu and offerings to attract newer clientele. Unfortunately, today, there seems to be less examples of this locally.. And more of the Caniglia/Bohemian Cafe endings...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Post by **Brad** » Thu May 12, 2016 11:33 pm

I just can't figure out why all these places say "The kids don't want to take it over"...

How bad did you enslave your children that they want nothing to do with your restaurant??? I know there are lots of us that sit in a cubical farm every day that just wished our parents would hand us the keys to a restaurant...

Post by **BRoss** » Fri May 13, 2016 6:09 am

Brad wrote:I just can't figure out why all these places say "The kids don't want to take it over"...

How bad did you enslave your children that they want nothing to do with your restaurant??? I know there are lots of us that sit in a cubical farm every day that just wished our parents would hand us the keys to a restaurant...

It seems that today kids just don't want to take after their parents and want to go into other fields. My dad owns a company but I never was interested because I wanted to be a programmer instead (been a computer geek all my life and been programming since like 13). It might just be that there's a lot of other exciting opportunities out there these days.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Fri May 13, 2016 6:13 am

Brad wrote:I just can't figure out why all these places say "The kids don't want to take it over"...

Actually, I don't blame them at all. It's a lot of very long hours of "real work", mostly in the evening, along with the other usual small business issues such as managing a staff, inventory control, dealing with vendors, building maintenance, etc. I sure would not want to do it and I don't think I have the skill set necessary for it.

How bad did you enslave your children that they want nothing to do with your restaurant??? I know there are lots of us that sit in a cubical farm every day that just wished our parents would hand us the keys to a restaurant...

LOL, I'm sure many of them are quite honestly tired of the work and the long hours, having done so since a very young age. From a business standpoint it's very risky, very prone to failure, and from a ROI standpoint there are many many better-paying options with less risk. From a personal standpoint, as I get older I'm enjoying my free time and down time (whenever I get it) more and more. I'm sure the "kids" took all of this into consideration when deciding in favor of a "cublcle farm" 9 to 5 job and such.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Fri May 13, 2016 12:42 pm

Omababe wrote:
Brad wrote:I just can't figure out why all these places say "The kids don't want to take it over"...

How bad did you enslave your children that they want nothing to do with your restaurant??? I know there are lots of us that sit in a cubical farm every day that just wished our parents would hand us the keys to a restaurant...
LOL, I'm sure many of them are quite honestly tired of the work and the long hours, having done so since a very young age. From a business standpoint it's very risky, very prone to failure, and from a ROI standpoint there are many many better-paying options with less risk. From a personal standpoint, as I get older I'm enjoying my free time and down time (whenever I get it) more and more. I'm sure the "kids" took all of this into consideration when deciding in favor of a "cublcle farm" 9 to 5 job and such.

You're most likely correct in your assessment Omababe..

And that, unfortunately, is to the detriment of the Omaha restaurant scene. It's just sad to see local "iconic" eateries go by the way of the dinosaur, while the big chains continue to snatch up bigger pieces of the consumer pie...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Sat May 14, 2016 7:42 am

nebugeater wrote:These places have morphed into an event place where people go once or twice a year for many people and not a reg destination like they used to be. Go for an anniversary, birthday, Holiday and drive past it for many other times that someone goes out to dine and this is going to happen.

The places need(ed) to stay relevant in a changing market but at the same time not changing is what many want. Hard tightrope to walk.

Very well put. I never cared for the food at the Bohemian Cafe. Much too heavy. And the atmosphere went beyond kitsch to just plain unkempt. We would eat there maybe once every 4 or 5 years, and nothing (except the prices) ever changed. In this era of competitive, creative chefs and customer demands of fresh, seasonal menus and farm to table food, the Bohemian Cafe proved to be a dinosaur.

That said, Omaha is quickly losing any link to its restaurant roots. Johnny's Cafe and Cascios are the only two well known places left in town with unbroken roots to the first half of the 20th Century. I hope that King Fong will reopen to rejoin that tiny group.

Bohemian Girl · Post by **Bohemian Girl** » Wed May 18, 2016 10:54 pm

I don't think people fully understand how it works when a restaurant is "handed down" to the next generation. The Kapoun's purchased the business in the 60"s from their grandmother. It took many years to fully pay for the restaurant in its entirety. The next generation, of which includes myself, are not financially in a position to purchase the cafe. Simply "passing to keys" to the next generation is not how it works, otherwise how would you expect the owners to retire financially after devoting their entire working lives to the business. All of us began working there ourselves at a very young age (I was 10) and have absolutely learned a hard work ethic. Please be considerate before assuming things are so simple when they are not.

Post by **Coyote** » Thu May 19, 2016 12:08 am

Bohemian Girl wrote:I don't think people fully understand how it works when a restaurant is "handed down" to the next generation. The Kapoun's purchased the business in the 60"s from their grandmother. It took many years to fully pay for the restaurant in its entirety. The next generation, of which includes myself, are not financially in a position to purchase the cafe. Simply "passing to keys" to the next generation is not how it works, otherwise how would you expect the owners to retire financially after devoting their entire working lives to the business. All of us began working there ourselves at a very young age (I was 10) and have absolutely learned a hard work ethic. Please be considerate before assuming things are so simple when they are not.

Thanks for your post Bohemian Girl! It is hard for some people to see beyond the culinary side of the restaurant business, and look at the harsh economic realities of life in the kitchen. I wish you all well!

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Thu May 19, 2016 10:26 pm

Bohemian Girl wrote:I don't think people fully understand how it works when a restaurant is "handed down" to the next generation. The Kapoun's purchased the business in the 60"s from their grandmother. It took many years to fully pay for the restaurant in its entirety. The next generation, of which includes myself, are not financially in a position to purchase the cafe. Simply "passing to keys" to the next generation is not how it works, otherwise how would you expect the owners to retire financially after devoting their entire working lives to the business. All of us began working there ourselves at a very young age (I was 10) and have absolutely learned a hard work ethic. Please be considerate before assuming things are so simple when they are not.

Are you a Kapoun? My great grandfather, Louis Macala, started the cafe!

Post by **Brad** » Fri May 20, 2016 9:55 am

Bohemian Girl wrote:I don't think people fully understand how it works when a restaurant is "handed down" to the next generation. The Kapoun's purchased the business in the 60"s from their grandmother. It took many years to fully pay for the restaurant in its entirety. The next generation, of which includes myself, are not financially in a position to purchase the cafe. Simply "passing to keys" to the next generation is not how it works, otherwise how would you expect the owners to retire financially after devoting their entire working lives to the business. All of us began working there ourselves at a very young age (I was 10) and have absolutely learned a hard work ethic. Please be considerate before assuming things are so simple when they are not.

Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude. When you read in the paper and on the news "The kids want nothing to do with it", I take that literally as the kids want nothing to do with it. Not once has anyone ever mentioned the financial reasons and said "The kids can't afford to take it over" or the "The the parents can't afford to pass it on to the kids". So that's why I was surprised that not one single "Old School" restaurant in Omaha has hung around to the next generation.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Sun May 22, 2016 8:29 am

i am sad to see it go. I married into a catholic Czech family (theres a bunch of em), and i never visited until doing so. Now i wish i would have much sooner. The duck is good, the liver dumpling soup is awesome, and the kolaches are the absolute best around (especially the poppy seed). I like the decor, love the pics of people wearing the shirts all over the world; it reminds me of a bygone era where you could go and get food that tastes like something unlike anything else around. Applebees, red robin, ruby tuesday, chilis, etc, all taste kind of the same.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 8:27 am

Kelly: Bohemian Cafe has a few months left, but people diving into 'dumplings and kraut today' like there's no tomorrow

Ever since the announcement, the colorful place that offers Czech, Bohemian and Polish food served by wait staff in peasant dress has been deluged with customers. They order liver-dumpling and egg-drop soup, svickova, sauerbraten, hasenpfeffer, sausage and more. At times, lines have extended to the sidewalk out front of 1406 S. 13th St.
Mother’s Day traditionally has brought big crowds, Terry said, but lately, “Every day has been like Mother’s Day.”
“I thought this might happen in July or August, as we got closer to closing,” Terry Kapoun said. “I can’t believe the number of people now. It’s like it was in the restaurant’s heyday.”

Polka music often was playing at home, as it has at the restaurant, and Bob jotted down the words. They are backed by an accordion on the jingle:
Dumplings and kraut today
At Bohemian Cafe.
Draft beer is sparkling,
Plenty of parking.
See you at lunch — OK?

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 6:49 pm

Lines form outside Bohemian Cafe during

Back in May, the restaurant's owners announced that after 50 years in business, they would close the doors for good in September. The last day the restaurant will be open is September 24.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:09 am

Big crowds, 'unreal' response for Bohemian Cafe in its final days

The restaurant isn’t taking any new reservations, though it’s honoring the ones diners have already made. Otherwise, seating is first come, first served.

Some nights the restaurant has served more than 600 customers in six hours.

Thursday, Kapoun said there have been interested buyers, but the family has been so busy that it’s waiting to make a final decision.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:36 am

Made it here one last time on Friday. Got there around 2:45 and the line moved quickly once they opened at 3. The only problem was that they were out of Czech Goulash, which was my favorite and what I was looking forward to. The staff did an amazing job being attentive even with all the business.