What is widely considered to be one of Omaha’s best dive bars was started by the sons of immigrants in 1956. They were Maynard Finkle, whose parents emigrated from Russia, and Leo Bianchi of Italian descent.
The duo worked together at Leo’s Bar in the Star Hotel for three years before it was condemned. When the building at 1510 North Saddle Creek Road became available, they jumped at the opportunity. Built in 1938, the building originally served as the home to Syfo Water Company before being repurposed as B & J Steak House and then Drickey’s Drive-in.
The partners wanted their patrons to feel at home, so they first opted to call it the Homey Inn. After discovering the name didn’t quite fit on the existing electric sign, they dropped the “e,” thereby giving it the name we all recognize today: Homy Inn.
In its early days, the Homy was a Western-themed bar and grill that served hamburgers and footlong chili dogs. Over the following two decades it attracted mainly those who lived in the neighborhood in addition to car enthusiasts.
The bar’s claim to fame is both its champagne on tap and its decor, with walls covered with newspapers dating back as far as 1910. Peruse them and you’ll come across events such as the sinking of the Titanic, the Hindenburg explosion and Amelia Earhart’s disappearance. Another wall features dozens of old beer cans. Look up at the ceiling and you’ll find old restaurant menus donated by a former Miss Omaha who received five years of champagne in exchange. The vintage appeal inside the Homy doesn’t stop there and extends to the beer trays obtained from flea markets, antique shops and another from Dublin, as well as baseball cards, tap handles, Beatles and Elvis memorabilia and a collection of Jim Beam bottles said to be the largest in the state at the time.
Over the years, what had been a quiet neighborhood bar was transformed into a hotspot for college kids. In fact, it had become one of the most popular bars in town. But by the time the 1980s rolled around, both of its founders were ready to move on. At the time, Bianchi said in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald that it was a difficult transition for him going from an older crowd to a younger one.
Terry Finkle bought the bar from his father in 1985. With help from his brother Scott, they continued the transformation of the Homy Inn. Renovations included the removal of the grill that had become difficult to maintain. Its removal allowed for both additional seating and storage in the small space. At that point they served peanuts and popcorn out of dog bowls. Not wanting to clean shells off the floor, the two-sided bowls allowed customers to discard spent shells on the other side.
When Maynard passed away in 1997, there was no way that he could have imagined what the Western-themed bar he and his partner started would become. Bianchi, however, was still alive to see it featured in the novel The Cleanup by Omaha-based author Sean Doolittle. He also saw it named as one of the “Top 50 Bars” by Esquire Magazine in 2006, 2007 and 2011, not to mention whatever accolades I missed. He would even see it featured on Antiques Roadshow in 2015 before passing away in 2020.
Nearly 70 years old, the Homy has been visited by numerous stars including the likes of Conor Oberst, Dave Foley and Maroon 5. Today the Homy Inn remains just as popular as ever and was named Best Dive Bar in the Omaha Choice Awards as recently as 2025.
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Sources
- Omaha World-Herald archives
- https://homyinn.com/about/
- https://www.unothegateway.com/o-what-a-scene-homy-inn/
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