Omaha Exploration

When the Standard Oil opened in 1921, the only other businesses on the street separating the Hanscom Park and Field Club neighborhoods was Clanton’s Grocery to the east.

Located at the intersection of 36th and Center Streets, the original service station was demolished in 1932 and replaced with a building that still stands and that has been repurposed over the years.

Its days as a service station came to end in the early 1970s. At the time, there were complaints that junk cars were being stored in a parking lot adjacent to the gas station. After Fred Dettmer’s Lounge at 1415 Douglas Street was razed in 1975 to make way for the W. Dale Clark Library, he attempted to relocate to this intersection only to have neighbors object. He ended up a mile west at 4973 Center Street, now home to The Elbow Room. By 1975 this building operated as an auto repair garage.

After failing to purchase the old Center Theater down the street for their Italian Village concept, Don and Marie Losole pivoted to purchasing the former gas station. They had just opened their popular Italian restaurant, Lo Sole Mio, three years earlier in 1992. The building being in a state of disrepair required extensive renovation which included the removal of hydraulic lifts, replacing garage doors with windows, adding restrooms in addition to a walk-in cooler.

It opened as Lo Sole Mio Trattoria in 1995. It was modeled after Italian deli’s that were so popular in larger cities like Chicago. Food offerings included deli sandwiches, salad, pizza, cold lasagna, imported Italian groceries, meats, cheeses, olives, bread, its popular tomato basil bruschetta in addition to the same sauces from the restaurant. During weekend nights in the summer, they would block off the parking lot, fire up the grill, put out picnic tables and hire musicians to play. Unfortunately, the location didn’t offer the mass exposure they desired so after the Losole children who ran the deli moved on to other ventures, they decided to close it and focus on the restaurant.

The building found new life once again when it reopened as Noah’s Bark doggie daycare. The small building didn’t allow for enough kennels so the owners used couches instead. The patio that was so popular when the Losole’s would throw their summer block parties was converted into a play area for dogs. It was likely the only doggie daycare in mid or downtown at the time. COVID forced its closure in 2020.

This stretch of the West Center District began to be redeveloped in the 2020’s after the success of Vis Major Brewing Company which had taken over the old Clanton’s Grocery a few years earlier. The last of these buildings to be renovated was the old gas station facing the Field Club of Omaha.

In 2022 it reopened as as a Teddy Roosevelt themed bar named The Bull Moose. Inspired by Roosevelt’s visit to the Field Club in 1910, the occasion is on display on a large picture painted on one of the interior brick walls. The walls are also lined with other Roosevelt inspired memorabilia such as posters for various national parks, maps and photographs. It’s outdoor patio allows you to catch a glimpse of the sunset over the golf course and when musical acts are playing, it no doubt conjures up memories of the 2000’s when the Losole’s operated the place.

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