Old Market back in business

Power returned to the Old Market early Wednesday, lights and humming air conditioners signaling that area businesses and restaurants could reopen after a day of costly closures.

But even as chefs scurried to move food from refrigerated trucks back to their kitchens, and shop owners unlocked their doors, normalcy was slow to return.

Many of the Old Market's best-known businesses and restaurants were forced to shut their doors Tuesday after an underground fire severely damaged the electrical circuits that power part of that district.

More than 100 customers, mostly businesses, lost power. While not every Old Market business was affected, the outage turned Omaha's No. 2 tourist attraction into something of a ghost town.

Wednesday morning, after more than 24 hours without electricity, Jerry Erving Jr. — a street musician who plays most days at 10th and Howard Streets — noted fewer than usual passersby. So he and a couple friends occupied themselves by trying to find a home for a dog that appeared to have been abandoned.

At the Hair Market around the corner, the day was a bit more hectic. Liz Schlueter, the shop's appointment coordinator, said Tuesday's outage — and subsequent closure — fell on one of the busiest days of the week for the Hair Market.

Once she was able to get into the computer Wednesday, she called clients to reschedule canceled cuts and colorings. Several people chose to come in Wednesday, meaning double bookings throughout the day.

At M's Pub across 11th Street, and Vivace Restaurant on Howard Street, Wednesday morning was spent restoring order to kitchens that were moved to refrigerated trucks. Both restaurants are under the same ownership and neither would reopen before dinner at 5 p.m., said Becca Thompson, manager for Vivace.

"We want to make sure everything is still (fresh and good)," she said. "We don't want to serve anything that is subpar."

In a single block of 11th Street, stretching from Howard to Harney Streets, at least six large refrigerated trucks sat parked outside restaurants.

Steven Summers, general manager at Rock Bottom Gold Medal Tap, said he saved most of his food by putting it on dry ice. He and employees also loaded about $20,000 worth of product into a refrigerated truck.

Summers ordered the truck after learning that power might not return until midnight. Power finally was restored about 6:30 a.m.

"We've got a lot of money invested in the food we've got," Summers said. "When you know the power is not coming on, it's just not worth taking the risk."

Gren Rodricks, chef of the Indian Oven near 10th and Howard, stood nearby, watering potted plants. The emergency refrigeration was an expense that the small, family-owned Indian Oven couldn't afford, he said.
The restaurant was hurrying to open for lunch — "We have to" — but first it was getting rid of all the food that had spoiled during the outage, he said.

"We lost a lot," Rodricks said, still unsure of the exact amount.

The outage came one week after the Indian Oven had one of its busiest days ever, last Tuesday. The restaurant was hoping for a repeat when staff reported to work in the midst of what it hoped would be a brief outage, he said. Instead, the Indian Oven canceled one catering job and prepared another catered meal with a gas oven and stovetop — by the light of a torch.

No one had tabulated the full cost of Tuesday's closures. But at least one shop owner said it easily reached into the thousands for many operating in the Old Market.

James Mekiney, executive chef for both Vivace and M's Pub, said the outage cost the restaurants a combined $25,000 to $30,000 in lost customers and ruined food.

Some restaurants that didn't lose power benefited from the outage. Blue Sushi Sake Bar and Stokes Bar and Grill were among the Old Market businesses that were open.

John Ursick, executive chef and partner at Stokes, said business was double that of a normal Tuesday.

"It's been awesome," he said.

Ursick said business picked up right after opening at 11 a.m. Extra kitchen and dining room staff were called in to work.

"What we're finding out by talking to our guests is their apartments and condos are without power, so they're going to hang out here tonight," he said.

Hotels rented rooms to people who chose not to swelter in apartments without air conditioning on one of the muggiest days of the year.

No large conventions were being held Tuesday in Omaha, but downtown hotels reported that they were nearly sold out.

Nicole LaFoe, front desk receptionist at the Hilton Garden Inn at 10th and Dodge Streets, said she had been directing guests to unaffected restaurants.

"Usually we can say, ‘Go wherever you want,' " LaFoe said. "But with the power out in the Old Market, it's been more difficult trying to get people somewhere to eat."

She directed people to Farrell's, a sports bar and deli near Ninth and Dodge Streets; Passport at 11th and Jackson Streets; and Wheatfields, 12th and Harney Streets.

The fire that caused the outages was reported about 1 a.m. near the intersection of 10th and Jackson.

Omaha Public Power District officials said a failed cable splice sparked flames in an underground vault, causing a chain reaction that knocked out several electrical circuits inside.

Onlookers gawked as smoke and sparks poured from a manhole between bursts of firecracker-like explosions. The acrid smell of burned rubber and plastic wafted throughout the area.

Heat from the blaze was so intense that repair crews were forced to wait several hours for the vault to cool. At least one electrical circuit was severely damaged.

World-Herald staff writers Sarah Reinecke and Ross Boettcher contributed to this report.

« Metro/Region

Share