Doug Evans will be happy to quote this statistic: approximately 80% of restaurants fail within five years. In fact, 60% of them don’t even make it to their first birthday.
But he doesn’t expect whoever he’s involved with is one of them.
Tom Mejstrik, the local Firehouse Subs franchisee, stands with his daughter Ashley Mejstrik, the general manager, at the sandwich chain’s second Lincoln location.
JAIDEN TRIPI, newspaper star
L’s Kitchen at 17 and Van Dorn streets is a collaboration between Evans, former councilman Roy Christensen and Lawrence de Villiers, a native of France who ran another restaurant, The Normandy, at the same location.
The restaurant, which opened in April, specializes in “gourmet comfort food,” Evans said, including many familiar dishes with new flavors.
Each focuses on his area of expertise: Evans on marketing, Christensen on finance and de Villiers on food.
Because of that, Evans said, “we can find a way to make it work.”
It looks like a number of restaurateurs are figuring out how to make it work, with a good number of restaurants continuing to open in Lincoln despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, inflation, supply chain issues and a shortage. labor.
People also read…
Research by local commercial realtor Robin Eschliman showed more restaurants opened than closed last year in Lincoln, the first time this has happened since at least 2018.
The pace of openings has fallen slightly to just 26, compared to 28 in 2020 and 31 in 2019, but the pace so far this year appears to have picked up.
Longtime Village Inn site to become Lincoln’s sixth Dunkin’ location
Lincoln’s Brewery, restaurant featured in new craft beer and food pairing cookbook
As of May 1, more than a dozen new restaurants had opened in Lincoln so far this year, and at least half a dozen were in development or under construction.
They range from mom-and-pop locations, to expansions of local operations, to new locations for national chains.
One of them was Firehouse Subs, a sandwich chain that opened its second location in Lincoln in March.
Local franchisee Tom Mejstrik, who opened his first location at East Park Plaza in 2016, began work on another at Edgewood Mall in 2019, but then the pandemic arrived and temporarily put his plans on hold.
But one thing he noticed throughout the pandemic was “demand continued to be strong.”
Mejstrik said his take-out and restaurant business had exploded, leaving him with no qualms about opening a second location, particularly one in South Lincoln, where many of his customers live.
“It’s still a good time to open restaurants,” he said.
Zoe Olson, executive director of the Nebraska Hospitality Association, agrees.
“It’s a good industry, and I think people see it,” said Olson, who noted that the restaurant industry is no different than most other industries: there’s constant turnover. business openings and closings.
But the pandemic has shone a spotlight on the industry, she said, and there’s been a lot of media coverage about the difficulties it’s facing.
3 new restaurants open in North Lincoln development
Lincoln Valentino’s former sideboard will become a medical clinic
“I think the vast majority of the hospitality industry has come to the forefront of national news, local news and state news because of COVID,” Olson said.
It also meant a spotlight on restaurant closures, though Olson said she thinks in most cases the pandemic isn’t the main reason for those places closing.
But it’s no secret that the industry has been losing customers, whether from emergency health measures that restricted in-person dining or customers hesitant to eat out due to the risk of contracting it. disease.
Research suggests those fears have eased and people are returning to restaurants this year after avoiding them for the past two years.
A report from TOP Data, a company that provides business, consumer and marketing insights, shows restaurant visits increased nearly 21% in Nebraska in 2022 compared to 2021, the seventh highest increase among states.
“Business is back and we’re learning how to deal with that,” Olson said.
One-way restaurants are coping with increased business and shortage of workers by using more technology.
Examples of this are menus accessible via QR codes and order and payment terminals at tables, Olson said, and customers will continue to see more innovation, she said.
But restaurants still need bodies, and Olson said workers are starting to return to the industry.
In March, there were 7,300 people employed in Nebraska restaurants, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the most since the pandemic began.
Some local restaurants that closed during the pandemic cited the inability to find enough workers as one of the reasons they closed.
Both Evans and Mejstrik said their restaurants had managed to find enough workers, and Evans said he thought talk of a labor shortage was a “false narrative”.
“All you have to do is pay people a fair wage and they will come to work for you,” he said.
Lincoln’s 10 Oldest Restaurants
1942: Restaurant Lee
Lee’s Restaurant, introduced in 2014 when mascot Pete was welcomed home after being robbed, is Lincoln’s oldest full-service restaurant. It is located at 1940 W. Van Dorn.
Star Journal File Photo
1957: Valentino

Valentino’s, the second oldest restaurant, has multiple locations in Lincoln. The restaurant chain started on Holdrege in 1957.
Star Journal File Photo
1963: Misty’s
Misty’s (original sign at 6235 Havelock is shown) is Lincoln’s third oldest restaurant.
JOHN MABRY
1965: Virginia Travelers Café

Virginia’s Travelers Cafe, located at 3280 Cornhusker Highway, is Lincoln’s fourth oldest full-service restaurant. In this photo, Rich “Rob” Robinson has breakfast at Virginia’s in 2008.
ERIC GREGORY, file photo
1976: Tico’s

Tico’s, 317 S. 17th St., is Lincoln’s fifth oldest full-service restaurant.
Photo of LJS file
1978: da Vinci

DaVinci’s has several locations in Lincoln, all of which serve pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. The Knudson family began their restaurant business in Lincoln in 1978 with Pontillo’s Pizzeria downtown. The first daVinci location opened in 1984 on South 48th Street.
Star Journal File Photo
1982: Piezano’s

Piezano’s, 2740 South St., is Lincoln’s sixth oldest restaurant. In this photo, Shawn Watters lands a ticket at Piezano on Super Bowl Sunday in 2016.
MISCHA LOPIANO, archive photo from the Journal Star
1984: The Islands

Isles Pub & Pizza, 6232 Havelock Ave., tied for seventh-oldest full-service restaurant in Lincoln.
Star Journal File Photo
1984: Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace, 701 N. 27th St., tied for Lincoln’s seventh-oldest restaurant.
Lincoln Journal Star file photo
1986: Billy’s

Billy’s Restaurant, 1301 H St., is the ninth oldest restaurant in Lincoln.
Star Journal File Photo
1988: Hi-Way Dinner

Lincoln’s Hi-Way Diner, 2105 Nebraska 2, has many homemade dishes like meatloaf on the menu. The restaurant opened in 1988.
Photo of LJS file
Contact the editor at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.