Thirsty's Pub (former Hurrdat Sports Bar & Grill) (10746 S 204th Ave - Gretna)

[nebugeater]

There was a post on Facebook a few days ago that McDaro's Pub and Pizza was closing until Dec 18, and they would be back with something new.

I was just on Google Maps and saw that the name of the location is now showing as Hurrdat Sports Bar & Grill and also says it is opening Dec 18. It looks like they are opening a second location in Gretna in addition to the location they have in LaVista at Southport.

A little more googling shows the coming soon Gretna on the Hurrdat website.


https://hurrdatsportsbar.com/locations/

[Linkin5]

I am pretty confused by their entire business model. Is their main location even doing well? They got rid of the Hail Varsity magazine, laid people off, Damon Benning suddenly quit and I never heard a real reason why.

It feels like they have investors with a bunch of ideas but none are being executed real well.

[nebugeater]

I have never been to the Southport location under this name or Hail Varsity. wonder if this is a total change of ownership or "francising" the name for the Gretna location.


Didn't Benning leaveing Corospond with leaving 1620 and then eventually ending up on 590? I always thought that this tied to the timing with him working out becoming the full-time color guy for the PbP for Husker football radio,

[ChadJK]

I see macdaros.com now redirects to https://hurrdatsportsbar.com/blog/compa ... expansion/

[Linkin5]

I have never been to the Southport location under this name or Hail Varsity. wonder if this is a total change of ownership or "francising" the name for the Gretna location.


Didn't Benning leaveing Corospond with leaving 1620 and then eventually ending up on 590? I always thought that this tied to the timing with him working out becoming the full-time color guy for the PbP for Husker football radio,

He left 1620, started at 590 for Hail Varsity radio, which became Hurrdat, as well as started doing Husker Radio, but then abruptly stopped doing the 590 show.

[ChadJK]

My wife has already started calling it Hoodrat instead of Hurrdat. lol

[omaha79]

Will be interesting. Macdaros had a decent spot, but also suffered from the same problem that many Gretna and Elkhorn restaurants suffer from: Lack of quality employees after Covid.

My partner lived in the apartments next to Macdaros for a while. We went a couple of times. It was a roll of the dice what time they'd be closing. Some nights they were closing the kitchen by 8pm on weeknights and the quality seemed to fluctuate. We've seen this with some of the other restaurants that have closed in Elkhorn and Gretna of late. Those communities are essentially designed without affordable housing and are so far on the outskirts of the metro that there is simply no motivation in the ultra competitive sit down bar/grill space to motivate workers to drive 25-35 minutes from a spot in Omaha where they live to get to these communities. They end up with high school kids, and the service shows.

It will also be interesting as this is right next door to Good Life, which seems to do well there. I don't know if that area can support a second essentially identical concept when one is established, part of a larger chain, and has decent specials.

Also, from what little I've seen, Heavy Brewing is killing it with the large sports brewpub/pizza concept. The community seems to really like that establishment. So, that's a 3rd almost identical concept, except the menu and drinks are more limited. But, I'm sure Heavy helped kill Macdaros on the pizza/beer front. But, I just don't think that Gretna can support another similar concept like this. We will see. Being a bedroom community, these places have to function like neighborhood bars as you're only pulling locals, for the most part. The overhead and staffing requirements on these big sports bars is high.

[nebugeater]

Will be interesting. Macdaros had a decent spot, but also suffered from the same problem that many Gretna and Elkhorn restaurants suffer from: Lack of quality employees after Covid.

My partner lived in the apartments next to Macdaros for a while. We went a couple of times. It was a roll of the dice what time they'd be closing. Some nights they were closing the kitchen by 8pm on weeknights and the quality seemed to fluctuate. We've seen this with some of the other restaurants that have closed in Elkhorn and Gretna of late. Those communities are essentially designed without affordable housing and are so far on the outskirts of the metro that there is simply no motivation in the ultra competitive sit down bar/grill space to motivate workers to drive 25-35 minutes from a spot in Omaha where they live to get to these communities. They end up with high school kids, and the service shows.

It will also be interesting as this is right next door to Good Life, which seems to do well there. I don't know if that area can support a second essentially identical concept when one is established, part of a larger chain, and has decent specials.

Also, from what little I've seen, Heavy Brewing is killing it with the large sports brewpub/pizza concept. The community seems to really like that establishment. So, that's a 3rd almost identical concept, except the menu and drinks are more limited. But, I'm sure Heavy helped kill Macdaros on the pizza/beer front. But, I just don't think that Gretna can support another similar concept like this. We will see. Being a bedroom community, these places have to function like neighborhood bars as you're only pulling locals, for the most part. The overhead and staffing requirements on these big sports bars is high.

I found an interesting mention on the Hurrdat web page. They said that they were adding a number of the "favorite" items from the MacDaros menu to their menu at what will be both locations. Will be interesting to see what that really means.

[ChadJK]

Will be interesting. Macdaros had a decent spot, but also suffered from the same problem that many Gretna and Elkhorn restaurants suffer from: Lack of quality employees after Covid.

My partner lived in the apartments next to Macdaros for a while. We went a couple of times. It was a roll of the dice what time they'd be closing. Some nights they were closing the kitchen by 8pm on weeknights and the quality seemed to fluctuate. We've seen this with some of the other restaurants that have closed in Elkhorn and Gretna of late. Those communities are essentially designed without affordable housing and are so far on the outskirts of the metro that there is simply no motivation in the ultra competitive sit down bar/grill space to motivate workers to drive 25-35 minutes from a spot in Omaha where they live to get to these communities. They end up with high school kids, and the service shows.

They always had plenty of staff on-hand. In fact, they frequently had more staff working than business dictated. However, the staff was always so horribly inattentive. It wasn't just the typical problem of them staring at their phone or chit-chatting with each other. Though, they did do that a lot. They would just be standing there with blank looks on their face and looking over the dining room without seeing anything. Table after table of empty glasses, ready for their bill, or ready to order and it just didn't register with any of the servers. It would have been comical if not so irritating. It was consistently this way too. You'd come back in a year to mostly new staff and have the exact same service-related problems.

Also, from what little I've seen, Heavy Brewing is killing it with the large sports brewpub/pizza concept. The community seems to really like that establishment. So, that's a 3rd almost identical concept, except the menu and drinks are more limited. But, I'm sure Heavy helped kill Macdaros on the pizza/beer front.

Funny enough, I avoid Heavy Brewing for that reason. It's a bit too much of Chuck E. Cheese atmosphere for me. When I am at a brewery's tasting room I really don't expect a group of young children to scream by my table. I'm probably in the minority as that place seems to do well. Then again, a place where mom and dad can drink with their friends while their kids run around mostly unsupervised has always been popular in Gretna. There are NO adult places in Gretna. Everything either starts out as or evolves into a family restaurant.

I found an interesting mention on the Hurrdat web page. They said that they were adding a number of the "favorite" items from the MacDaros menu to their menu at what will be both locations. Will be interesting to see what that really means.

MacDaro's had great pizza when they opened, but I felt like they cheapened the ingredients and toppings in recent years. Also, the oven didn't heat evenly and they didn't rotate the pizza. So, you'd get a pizza that was a little too well-done on one side. Outside of that, it was pretty standard sports bar fare with predictable categories of food. The selection of entrees shrunk over the years too. They did have a couple of unique appetizers. The Crab Rangoon dip comes to mind.

[omaha79]

Will be interesting. Macdaros had a decent spot, but also suffered from the same problem that many Gretna and Elkhorn restaurants suffer from: Lack of quality employees after Covid.

My partner lived in the apartments next to Macdaros for a while. We went a couple of times. It was a roll of the dice what time they'd be closing. Some nights they were closing the kitchen by 8pm on weeknights and the quality seemed to fluctuate. We've seen this with some of the other restaurants that have closed in Elkhorn and Gretna of late. Those communities are essentially designed without affordable housing and are so far on the outskirts of the metro that there is simply no motivation in the ultra competitive sit down bar/grill space to motivate workers to drive 25-35 minutes from a spot in Omaha where they live to get to these communities. They end up with high school kids, and the service shows.

They always had plenty of staff on-hand. In fact, they frequently had more staff working than business dictated. However, the staff was always so horribly inattentive. It wasn't just the typical problem of them staring at their phone or chit-chatting with each other. Though, they did do that a lot. They would just be standing there with blank looks on their face and looking over the dining room without seeing anything. Table after table of empty glasses, ready for their bill, or ready to order and it just didn't register with any of the servers. It would have been comical if not so irritating. It was consistently this way too. You'd come back in a year to mostly new staff and have the exact same service-related problems.

Also, from what little I've seen, Heavy Brewing is killing it with the large sports brewpub/pizza concept. The community seems to really like that establishment. So, that's a 3rd almost identical concept, except the menu and drinks are more limited. But, I'm sure Heavy helped kill Macdaros on the pizza/beer front.

Funny enough, I avoid Heavy Brewing for that reason. It's a bit too much of Chuck E. Cheese atmosphere for me. When I am at a brewery's tasting room I really don't expect a group of young children to scream by my table. I'm probably in the minority as that place seems to do well. Then again, a place where mom and dad can drink with their friends while their kids run around mostly unsupervised has always been popular in Gretna. There are NO adult places in Gretna. Everything either starts out as or evolves into a family restaurant.

They had plenty of staff....but, not good staff. As I've mentioned before, the problem with Gretna restaurants isn't a lack of staff, but people who have actually worked in the industry and know how to wait a table. YOu just won't get them out there because it's so far flung and there is no affordable housing out there. Every time I ate there, it was a bunch of high school students working there with blank stares on their faces, as you mentioned. This all tracks with what I've been saying as to why Gretna struggles with sit down restaurants. It's always high school students, a few college students, or some moms killing time.

Heavy wouldn't be for everyone, but it plays to the market it's in: sleepy bedroom community filled with 30's to 50's moms, dads, and oodles of children. You'll get what you get with that and they are playing to their strengths.

[nativeomahan]

Gretna really isn’t on my radar screen for dining, but like others have said, or implied, a restaurant with noisy kids running amok will never ever get my business. That’s why they have babysitters, folks.

[jheard15]

Damon had too many irons in the fire. His new(er) Husker commitments take up plenty of time and the financial aspect allowed him to cut back. He loves coaching more than anything so the morning show was odd man out.

I'd like to see him do a weekly podcast down the road. Wouldn't be surprised if that's not in the works already.

[ChadJK]

That’s why they have babysitters, folks.

Alas, a dead idea. I can remember my parents getting a sitter so they could go out. The cost of the sitter was part of the night and was budgeted into the evening just like the cost of their dinner was.

These days, people take the kids with them EVERYWHERE. I went into the Zipline Tap Room near 204th & F last Summer. It had as many kids as adults in it. I'm looking around and thinking, "Isn't this a brewery tasting room?" People from the adjacent neighborhood were pushing strollers down the sidewalk and into the place. I'm just sitting there dumbfounded like, "Really? A stroller in a bar? Really?" Mind-blowing.

The number of times I've gone into MacDaro's, Good Life, Heavy Brewing, Langdon's, and others and seen tables full of parents sitting there drinking while their kids literally run around the restaurant. "You kids go run and play, mommy and daddy want to have another beer and talk to their friends." Judgy as it sounds, that's just trash behavior from the adults.

[almighty_tuna]

These days, people take the kids with them EVERYWHERE. I went into the Zipline Tap Room near 204th & F last Summer. It had as many kids as adults in it. I'm looking around and thinking, "Isn't this a brewery tasting room?" People from the adjacent neighborhood were pushing strollers down the sidewalk and into the place. I'm just sitting there dumbfounded like, "Really? A stroller in a bar? Really?" Mind-blowing.

A baby?? In a BAR???

Lol, but seriously. In my experience this is not uncommon in CO where there are a LOT of essentially informal neighborhood breweries.

[omaha79]

That’s why they have babysitters, folks.

Alas, a dead idea. I can remember my parents getting a sitter so they could go out. The cost of the sitter was part of the night and was budgeted into the evening just like the cost of their dinner was.

These days, people take the kids with them EVERYWHERE. I went into the Zipline Tap Room near 204th & F last Summer. It had as many kids as adults in it. I'm looking around and thinking, "Isn't this a brewery tasting room?" People from the adjacent neighborhood were pushing strollers down the sidewalk and into the place. I'm just sitting there dumbfounded like, "Really? A stroller in a bar? Really?" Mind-blowing.

The number of times I've gone into MacDaro's, Good Life, Heavy Brewing, Langdon's, and others and seen tables full of parents sitting there drinking while their kids literally run around the restaurant. "You kids go run and play, mommy and daddy want to have another beer and talk to their friends." Judgy as it sounds, that's just trash behavior from the adults.

Not everyone operates the same way. I grew up in the early to late 80's. My family never really used sitters and they took myself and my cousins everywhere. We lived in South Omaha. Many of my earliest and fondest memories were of Saturday nights at Duffy's Tavern on 37th and Q or Pizza Keg on 50th and L. Most of those days were spend draining my parents or grandma of quarters so I could play the video game machines. Neither place was necessarily "kid friendly" but not unfriendly to kids either. Both were filled with smoke and people drinking. Reminds me of what I see today, honestly, minus the smoke. Duffy's and Pizza Keg had the machines for a reason: to bring more families in. We'd have dinner at either place (Duffy's also had a restaurant for years) and then migrate to the bar side and drink while the kids gamed. At Duffy's, Red Munnelly would come over and slip me quarters. One would be to play Donkey Kong and the other was to go in the juke box to play Irish songs like "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".

If you live in a neighborhood with a ton of kids, you either market to the families, or you realize you're going to make 1/3 of what you could by being more open and you get a clientele of the more hardcore alcoholics that are in there every night.

Everyone tries to say the 70's and 80's "were a different time." IN some ways they were, but some ways it's similar to what happens today.

[Louie]

Growing up in the 90s, I vividly remember going to bars and taverns on weekend nights with my parents and their friends who also had kids. It was certainly not uncommon.

[Stan]

I also grew up in the 90s, however, it was in rural Nebraska. There were no adults only places as every bar had to serve food to survive. We didn't eat out all that much though so it was a treat to have lunch or dinner at the bar with my grandpa or parents.

My spouse moved here from Indiana where they had stricter alcohol laws and was shocked when she noticed kids sitting at a bar eating their lunch.

I prefer our way though as it doesn't make drinking out to be this mystical thing that needs to be hidden. It seems more natural similar to how Europeans treat alcohol around children.

[nativeomahan]

I grew up in the distant past. The 1960s and 1970s. I recall my parents having my grandmother or one of the junior high neighbor kids come over to babysit we 3 kids while Mom and Dad went out to Ross’ or The Sparetime or Italian Gardens with one or two other couples, who were all escaping their young children for a few hours. In the 1970s when us kids were age 10 and older we kids got to dine out as a family at Big Fred’s, Lyle’s Patio, the Ranch Bowl, Mr. Steak and places like that. Oh, and Mr. C’s. We were taught proper table manners at home and expected to exhibit them when eating in a restaurant. We were basically told to sit in our seats at the table until the grown ups were ready to leave. We were never allowed to run amok in a restaurant.
I know times change. Restaurant styles have evolved to the point where a greater % of restaurants with bars are informal, but for my money when my husband and I go out we avoid places with children’s menus and high chairs. We also avoid restaurants with any TV sets or obnoxiously loud background music. If I want to watch TV I have several in my house. For us, going out, either as a couple or with friends, is for the purpose of good food and good conversation. That almost seems like a lost art in the 21st Century.

[ricko]

Great conversation. I’m a little (or maybe a lot) older than some of you. Grew up with South Omaha’s tavern culture in the 50’s thru the early 70’’s so my experience might be a little different from some of the above posters. Bars like Duffy’s doubled as neighborhood community centers. My parents bowling league had their Sunday post-game pot-luck dinners at Duffy’s. Their party room hosted stuff like milestone anniversaries and birthdays. If you were running for President in the Democratic primary , a stop at Duffy’s was obligatory. One wall there had pictures of the candidates with the locals. I believe all 3 Kennedy brothers (during different primaries) were represented. Being in a traditionally Irish neighborhood, they were also the center of activity on St. Patrick’s Day——the street party attracted upwards of 5,000 people. They also helped sponsor various sports teams at some point.

Children were included in some events but not all. We were expected to behave——or else. If my folks wanted an adult only night, they’d head for one of the restaurants on 72nd or Dodge, or one of the nightclubs like The Birdcage or The 20’s. For special occasions, my parents would allow us kids to tag along. I remember pestering my parents to take us to Casio’s, my favorite place at the time.

Aaaanyway, it’s not that much of a stretch to think that a number of people who can trace their roots to South Omaha ended up in places like Gretna, Papillion, Ralston, and points nearby, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see kids in places like Hurrdat, but I’d like to see more “or else” from some of these parents.

[omaha79]

Great conversation. I’m a little (or maybe a lot) older than some of you. Grew up with South Omaha’s tavern culture in the 50’s thru the early 70’’s so my experience might be a little different from some of the above posters. Bars like Duffy’s doubled as neighborhood community centers. My parents bowling league had their Sunday post-game pot-luck dinners at Duffy’s. Their party room hosted stuff like milestone anniversaries and birthdays. If you were running for President in the Democratic primary , a stop at Duffy’s was obligatory. One wall there had pictures of the candidates with the locals. I believe all 3 Kennedy brothers (during different primaries) were represented. Being in a traditionally Irish neighborhood, they were also the center of activity on St. Patrick’s Day——the street party attracted upwards of 5,000 people. They also helped sponsor various sports teams at some point.

Children were included in some events but not all. We were expected to behave——or else. If my folks wanted an adult only night, they’d head for one of the restaurants on 72nd or Dodge, or one of the nightclubs like The Birdcage or The 20’s. For special occasions, my parents would allow us kids to tag along. I remember pestering my parents to take us to Casio’s, my favorite place at the time.

Aaaanyway, it’s not that much of a stretch to think that a number of people who can trace their roots to South Omaha ended up in places like Gretna, Papillion, Ralston, and points nearby, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see kids in places like Hurrdat, but I’d like to see more “or else” from some of these parents.

Duffy's was an amazing place. I remember the wall with all of the pictures of the Kennedy's. Even as a roughly 8 year old, I knew that was a pretty big deal. Red and Sis were just the best. She died when I was only about 5, if I remember right, and they closed the restaurant side not long after. Red died when I was about 11. The bar closed not long after that. It really was the heartbeat of South Omaha and where we always gathered. I can say that nothing was ever quote the same after that. Just one of those dividing points in my childhood.

[Linkin5]

Interesting reading this thread, I have never been bothered by kids in a bar or restaurant. Growing up, it was also commonplace to tag along with our parents when they went to the tavern.

[ChadJK]

It depends on where you draw the line on "bar." I mean, Applebee's has a bar. Chili's has a bar. Cheddar's has a bar. I suppose there's lots of factors that weigh-in. Is the primary source of revenue booze or food? Is it noon or 8:00 PM? Are the children seated or running around? By kids do you mean preschoolers or teens? Can I be slamming drinks with my friends and stumble to bathroom without having to walk around someone using the diaper changing station?

[nebugeater]

It depends on where you draw the line on "bar." I mean, Applebee's has a bar. Chili's has a bar. Cheddar's has a bar. I suppose there's lots of factors that weigh-in. Is the primary source of revenue booze or food? Is it noon or 8:00 PM? Are the children seated or running around? By kids do you mean preschoolers or teens? Can I be slamming drinks with my friends and stumble to bathroom without having to walk around someone using the diaper changing station?

Please clarify:
Is the person using the diaper changing station using it for an infant or for someone who can't hold their booze?

[Dusty]

I remember when I was 17-18 we went to eat at Grandmother's. Yes, I know they are all gone now.
Shortly after 8 PM, the waitress came over said I had to leave the facility. At 9 PM it was 21+ only.

I don't know if any places do this anymore. I think there is a big difference between a bar only and restaurant that has alcohol.

[nativeomahan]

I vaguely recall that at the Grandmothers in Ralston the lower level was a bar (you could order a limited menu of food from the kitchen upstairs), and the upstairs was just a restaurant (but they served alcohol which was suppled by the bar downstairs). At a certain hour families with kids under 21 (maybe it was 19 or 20 back then) were told to move upstairs to the restaurant. It worked just fine, and adults who wanted to hang with just adults had a nice big lounge in which to do so.

[omaha79]

I remember when I was 17-18 we went to eat at Grandmother's. Yes, I know they are all gone now.
Shortly after 8 PM, the waitress came over said I had to leave the facility. At 9 PM it was 21+ only.

I don't know if any places do this anymore. I think there is a big difference between a bar only and restaurant that has alcohol.

Beercade will allow kids in until 7PM and then will ask them to leave.

[ChadJK]

A great trick when I was a teen was to go to a bar that had one of those "No persons under 21 permitted after 8:00 PM" signs with a bouncer that shows up at 8. You arrive at like 7 and drink soda and have an appetizer and chit-chat. Keep a low profile (helps if you're mixed into a crowd of over-21s). Worst case, you go hide in a bathroom stall for a half hour. Around 8:30 walk up to the bar and order a drink. They'll serve you. Since it's after 8 and there's a bouncer at the door they just assume everyone inside is over-21 and has already been carded. I did this frequently. You'd think they'd walk through the bar at 8 and check the IDs of everyone already inside, but nope (though, if they did then you just do the aforementioned hide in the bathroom trick).

Also tried with success...

Sit at table with older friends and let them order drinks. Once the table is piled full of empties just order next time the waitress comes around. She assumes everyone at the table is 21.

The other trick was to grab an empty off of a random table and take it to the bar and hand it to the bartender and say, "Another please." I already have a drink, so surely I'm old enough. lol

It also helped to not be downtown/midtown. Those bars were always more vigilant as they were trendy and the underaged were always trying to sneak in. Also, it helps to not be one of those people that is 19 but looks 12.

[ChadJK]

There was a post on Facebook a few days ago that McDaro's Pub and Pizza was closing until Dec 18, and they would be back with something new.

Are they back as something new? Today is the day, but I haven't driven past it. I saw most of the MacDaro's signage was down, but that was probably a week or two ago.

[Greg S]

Damon had too many irons in the fire. His new(er) Husker commitments take up plenty of time and the financial aspect allowed him to cut back. He loves coaching more than anything so the morning show was odd man out.

I'd like to see him do a weekly podcast down the road. Wouldn't be surprised if that's not in the works already.

I had no idea he was that busy? I know he does Husker play by play and some fill in work for Big 10 Network. What else has he got going? I know he also helps as an Assistant at Westside.

[HskrFanMike]

I had no idea he was that busy? I know he does Husker play by play and some fill in work for Big 10 Network. What else has he got going? I know he also helps as an Assistant at Westside.

Football color analyst on the Husker network, Westside assistant coach and some commentary on KETV-7 are all I know about. The first two things keep him pretty busy from August into November. I don't think he's done anything for BTN the last couple of years, now that he's working the NU broadcasts.

But I do believe his primary job is "dad", and he has two other kids besides his son that will be going to NU next season. He probably has time now that football season is over to do more, but I have to believe that between Westside and Nebraska this fall, he was overtapped during the season and suspect that's why he bowed out of the Hurrdat morning show. He's been on multiple times as a radio guest on the Hurrdat show since, so clearly he didn't leave on bad terms.

[Greg S]

I had no idea he was that busy? I know he does Husker play by play and some fill in work for Big 10 Network. What else has he got going? I know he also helps as an Assistant at Westside.

Football color analyst on the Husker network, Westside assistant coach and some commentary on KETV-7 are all I know about. The first two things keep him pretty busy from August into November. I don't think he's done anything for BTN the last couple of years, now that he's working the NU broadcasts.

But I do believe his primary job is "dad", and he has two other kids besides his son that will be going to NU next season. He probably has time now that football season is over to do more, but I have to believe that between Westside and Nebraska this fall, he was overtapped during the season and suspect that's why he bowed out of the Hurrdat morning show. He's been on multiple times as a radio guest on the Hurrdat show since, so clearly he didn't leave on bad terms.

Yeah the whole thing was really strange. They went from his original show there, Coffee and Cream starting in November of 2022(he cohosted with Andrew Rogers), to making it The Damon Benning Show (bringing on Ravi Lulla and removing Andrew) at the very end of August of this year, to just over a month later Damon leaving his own show? Just seems odd to make that major change, with a show carrying his name, to leave in 5 weeks...I think now it's a more generic Hurrdat Radio for a name.

Greg

[ChadJK]

Did Hurrdat open in Gretna? I know it was supposed to open in December and then they pushed it back to mid-January. I just haven't been by to see if they're open.

[nebugeater]

Did Hurrdat open in Gretna? I know it was supposed to open in December and then they pushed it back to mid-January. I just haven't been by to see if they're open.

yes

I believe their first day open was Jan 11. Then, they were closed a number of days due to weather.

Have not talked to anyone who has been there yet.

[Greg S]

I had no idea he was that busy? I know he does Husker play by play and some fill in work for Big 10 Network. What else has he got going? I know he also helps as an Assistant at Westside.

Football color analyst on the Husker network, Westside assistant coach and some commentary on KETV-7 are all I know about. The first two things keep him pretty busy from August into November. I don't think he's done anything for BTN the last couple of years, now that he's working the NU broadcasts.

But I do believe his primary job is "dad", and he has two other kids besides his son that will be going to NU next season. He probably has time now that football season is over to do more, but I have to believe that between Westside and Nebraska this fall, he was overtapped during the season and suspect that's why he bowed out of the Hurrdat morning show. He's been on multiple times as a radio guest on the Hurrdat show since, so clearly he didn't leave on bad terms.

Yeah the whole thing was really strange. They went from his original show there, Coffee and Cream starting in November of 2022(he cohosted with Andrew Rogers), to making it The Damon Benning Show (bringing on Ravi Lulla and removing Andrew) at the very end of August of this year, to just over a month later Damon leaving his own show? Just seems odd to make that major change, with a show carrying his name, to leave in 5 weeks...I think now it's a more generic Hurrdat Radio for a name.

Greg

Andrew Rogers is moving back to St Louis. And the saga gots stranger, Benning is returning to 590:

[nebugeater]

I think the Hurrdat Sports Bar and Grill in Gretna has closed. It was fairly dark this morning, and I will take a closer look when I go by tonight on my way home. The signs look to be gone from the building

[BIGO88]

Thirstys Pub is going in here.

[nebugeater]

Thirstys Pub is going in here.

Yep

Drove through the parking lot, and there was a sign on the door.

Looked at Thirsy's Facebook page, and they announced a few days ago.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DLZh7J4vC/

Work is going on inside, and it looks like a couple of the garage doors going to the patio are being closed in.

[ChadJK]

Why do we rename threads instead of create new threads?

[Brad]

Why do we rename threads instead of create new threads?

Seems to be about 50/50. If it a restaurant location that just keeps changing names and has several names, no real reason to start a new one every single time. Especially when nobody really posts about the restaurant other than when it opens and closes. It also makes it easier to use the search function.

If the off topic stuff was removed from this thread, there would only be about 10 posts in it.

[Trips1]

They are closing in some of the garage doors to help with utilities. There is no plan for the kitchen except for maybe the pizza oven.

The bank that owns the current building for Thirsty's did not renew their lease. I would guess it's a good spot for redevelopment with the empty land next to it.