Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

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Omababe
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Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Omababe »

We ate at the Smoke Pit last Saturday.

They have apparently closed their bar and they were out of a few of their staples and they are now open only 4 days per week.

Anyone know what's going on?
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Brad
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by Brad »

Here is a story from a couple weeks ago, I thought it was posted on the forum:
http://www.omaha.com/article/20140214/NEWS/140219302" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
SaveOmaha
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by SaveOmaha »

Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future
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Coyote
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by Coyote »

SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future
I think I reported that a brewery was looking at this site a few months ago?
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by SaveOmaha »

Vis Major?
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iamjacobm
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by iamjacobm »

SaveOmaha wrote:Vis Major?
They are launching a kickstarter next month. Might be for buildout costs.
SaveOmaha
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by SaveOmaha »

Coyote wrote:
SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future
I think I reported that a brewery was looking at this site a few months ago?
I found when you said that. I misread... Assumed the 25th and Farnam site you mentioned was the Hupmobile Building.
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nativeomahan
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by nativeomahan »

SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future
Aren't the trees on city right of way?
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Brad
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by Brad »

nativeomahan wrote:
SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future
Aren't the trees on city right of way?
I don't think they were very healthy. I would also guess that the city would want that old bed with railroad ties and sidewalk replaced with the current city design.
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iamjacobm
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by iamjacobm »

Property fenced up now.
NEDodger
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by NEDodger »

Becoming "Farnam 25", with retail and restaurant space:

http://www.omaha.com/money/former-smoke ... 84d5e.html
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skinzfan23
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by skinzfan23 »

The investment is expected to total $1 million. Looks like a great addition to the this area.
By next year, the former Smoke Pit BBQ at 25th and Farnam Streets will house at least three new businesses and, developers hope, a new restaurant or brewery.
Demolition has begun inside the 7,000 square-foot building. When finished, the newly named Farnam 25 will have 1,200 to 1,500 square-foot retail storefronts along Farnam Street, said Adam Watson, a partner in the project. The restaurant space will be about 3,700 square feet.
Here is the rendering from the paper:


Image
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skinzfan23
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by skinzfan23 »

Maybe the old gas station building across the street can get redeveloped as well.
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Brad
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by Brad »

Wow, that looks nice!
skinzfan23 wrote:Maybe the old gas station building across the street can get redeveloped as well.
That would be great too!
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iamjacobm
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by iamjacobm »

Smart to turn the building to Farnam. This will be a really nice gathering place for a growing part of DT.
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iamjacobm
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by iamjacobm »

skinzfan23 wrote:Maybe the old gas station building across the street can get redeveloped as well.
No kidding. Great spot for another 5 story 100 unit apartment building.
NEDodger
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by NEDodger »

At this point, I'd take a refurbished new gas station. That thing is a blight and will look even more so with all of the new buildings around it.
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OmahaJaysCU
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Re: Smoke Pit status?

Post by OmahaJaysCU »

That gas station site is extremely contaminated.
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Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by GRANDPASMUCKER »

I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! :lol: We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!
jelizh
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by jelizh »

A rooftop deck on that hill would almost certainly have a great skyline view! I wonder if the new hotel on 24th would impede that at all..
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by omahacacher »

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! :lol: We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!
BS. Your lies are getting more outrageous each day. Just go away already.
GRANDPASMUCKER
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by GRANDPASMUCKER »

omahacacher wrote:
GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! :lol: We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!
BS. Your lies are getting more outrageous each day. Just go away already.
I was going to tell you about the time when there was a junked out car behind that Town & Country. A buddy and me had a few drinks in the Old market and we stopped at the Town & Country on 24th & Farnam to use the bathroom. We walk in and they say the bathroom is closed to the public or something. My friend walks around the back to take a wizz and he notices there is 3 guys sitting in that junked out car pretending they are cruising around. My buddy signals me back there and we go up to that car and start talking to them. Long story short its 3 20yr old guys sitting in that car huffing spray paint to the point where they actually think they are out cruising around on a Saturday night. I was going to tell you that story but now I will not. :hammer:
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Seth
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Seth »

This definitely signals steady momentum for redevelopment of this stretch. Now that a lot of the old apartments south of here are being redeveloped, I'd wager this area starts feeling a lot cleaner pretty quick.

Also, unless someone can produce news articles or police reports for two armed robberies of that gas station in less than a week, I'm not buying it either.
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Taco
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Taco »

I wish they didn't have that billboard on top of the building. In the rendering it isn't noticeable because it's plain, but with advertising it would look really tacky.
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by ricko »

omahacacher wrote:
GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! :lol: We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!
BS. Your lies are getting more outrageous each day. Just go away already.
I remember how this neighborhood was back in the 70's. You might find this hard to believe since most of you weren't born yet or weren't old enough to remember, but this part of town was crawling with heroin addicts, hookers, pimps, etc.. A friend of mine was trying to save money while in grad school and he rented a place near by, so I got to see it up close. The stories my friend would tell me were beyond the pale, so I don't think Grandpasmucker is exaggerating. Omaha had some really badass neighborhoods back then, and I remember reading a story in a local publication about the thousands of junkies who lived just west of downtown. Junkies will do anything for their next fix; robbery was their crime of choice----an all night gas station would've been an easy mark.
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Louie »

So it's improving, then? Good.
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Coyote »

Image
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Brad
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Brad »

Saturday Photo Update:
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jelizh
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by jelizh »

Coming soon sign for Zen Coffee has been hanging in one of the bays for quite some time, looks like they are planning on opening in Spring. https://www.facebook.com/pg/zencoffeeco ... e_internal

It is interesting to see all these small and mostly locally owned coffee shops pop up in the area between midtown and the old market. Between Howlin' Hounds, Well Grounded, Mug Life, Himalayan Java, and now Zen, downtown workers and dwellers can get their fix without going to a chain.
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iamjacobm
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by iamjacobm »

There doesn't seem to be much urgency here. Rarely any progress being made and I go by here 5 times a week. I don't think there is any interior work being done and the parking lot to the east is still a mess that will need to be addressed before anything opens.
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Coyote
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Coyote »

jelizh wrote:Coming soon sign for Zen Coffee has been hanging in one of the bays for quite some time, looks like they are planning on opening in Spring. https://www.facebook.com/pg/zencoffeeco ... e_internal
Zen just submitted permits so some action is going on there
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Akorth »

Zen's work will be completed by May-all CO's are waiting on parking lot project-city gives 60 days. Two other restaurants have signed and are beginning work-names and details to come at a later time.
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Coyote »

So, so far we have two restaurants and a coffee shop?
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Akorth »

Yes and across the street is the Holiday Inn, they submitted for permits recently and a new condo/apartment complex next to it. It is my understanding that everything else around will be staying thought it will be interesting to see how the International Market and neighboring businesses will progress through all of the changes. They do not seem thrilled with the changes but have an opportunity to grow as well.
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Coyote
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Coyote »

One restaurant will be Hkahku Thai Restaurant which will take the north bay, Zen Coffee is in the east bay which makes it very unlikely we will see a brewery here.
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by Coyote »

Zen's Grand Opening will be 6/23-25, soft opening on Monday.
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by BIGO88 »

I heard Voodoo Taco will be taking the north bay spot now
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by mistergutierrez »

Besides, Zen is expanding and they are annexing the space just west of their coffee shop. So they will be only one bay unused.
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iamjacobm
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by iamjacobm »

https://www.ketv.com/article/farnam-hil ... n/27363789
Abby Korth and her partner, Ryan, took a chance two years ago when they bought an old barbecue joint.

They turned it into Zen Coffee at 25th and Farnam streets.

It's almost right in the center of Omaha's newest neighborhood; an eight-block section known as the Farnam Hill District.
Across the street, the owners of Zen Coffee are now opening a yoga studio.

Next to that, the Next Chapter Book Store.

Voodoo Taco is also setting up shop, one of numerous businesses in the new Farnam Hill District.
ita
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Re: Farnam 25 (former Smoke Pit)

Post by ita »

iamjacobm wrote: Mon May 06, 2019 8:53 am https://www.ketv.com/article/farnam-hil ... n/27363789
Abby Korth and her partner, Ryan, took a chance two years ago when they bought an old barbecue joint.

They turned it into Zen Coffee at 25th and Farnam streets.

It's almost right in the center of Omaha's newest neighborhood; an eight-block section known as the Farnam Hill District.
Across the street, the owners of Zen Coffee are now opening a yoga studio.

Next to that, the Next Chapter Book Store.

Voodoo Taco is also setting up shop, one of numerous businesses in the new Farnam Hill District.
Just to clarify, is this new Farnam Hills District what people were wanting to call the Quarters District? The article and video explained nothing about the boundaries, other than it's composed of 8 blocks.
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