Blackstone District’s 3558 to 3564 Farnam Street

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Buildings and Architecture

Blackstone District’s 3558 to 3564 Farnam Street

Omaha Exploration

Blackstone District, Blackstone Hotel, Blackstone Pharmacy, Blackstone Pizza, Crandell Furs, Don Carmelo’s Pizza, Evans Cleaners, Farnam House Brewing, Kocher Bros Grocery, Taste of India, The Frame Service, Tommy Colina’s Kitchen

Published September 18, 2023 | Updated April 29, 2026

September 18, 2023

By 1893 W. D. Edwards & Co operated a grocery store on the corner of 36th and Farnam. Twenty years later brothers Herman, Emil and Robert Kocher operated the grocery store which was now called Kocher Bros. In the early days, they made deliveries with a horse and buggy team. In 1924 the brothers moved to a new building at 3564 Farnam. The independent grocery store appealed to many of the city’s first citizens as their sons and daughters had also become customers over the years. The brothers decided to retire in 1952 after 40 years in business.

1935 photo looking west on Farnam. Kocher Bros is on the the right (north side). Crandell Furs hadn’t been built yet. The Blackstone Hotel is to the left.

After they vacated the space, the building changed a few times over the next couple of decades. It was Blackstone Furniture and Appliances in the early 1950’s followed by Diamond Paint and Wallpaper Store until 1962. By the time the fire of 1979 destroyed the buildings to the west, it was operating as Evans Cleaners. Fortunately, this building was saved due to a firewall that was installed in between the two. Since 1996 it has operated as a picture framing, art and home good store called The Frame Service.

Aerial view of the buildings in 1948. Kocher Bros grocery store and finally Crandell furs. A gas station is on the corner of 35th Ave. The lot behind the building has since been excavated and the garage behind the grocery store torn down. The Blackstone Hotel is across the street and the funeral home in the top center.

Phillip Crandell fled Russia in 1923 and opened Crandell’s Fur at 3568 Farnam two years later. His business already ten years old when he came to Omaha operated out of this building until a fire destroyed it in 1930. He relocated to the south side of Farnam temporarily until a new building was constructed in the same place as his old one in 1947. Phillip converted the basement into a temperature-controlled storage room for the furs that quickly flew out the doors in the store above. As the city moved west so did the fur store. He opened a store in Westroads Mall in 1970 followed by another in Shaker Place in 1974. The store on Farnam closed a year later.

Brick’s Liquor in 1970.
Current day view with the new building on the left and the old builds that weren’t destroyed to the fire on the right.

National yogurt chain I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt operated in this building for a period of time after that followed by local pizza chain, Don Carmelo’s. The New York-style pizza shop operated several locations in town but eventually closed this store as they consolidated. It then became Tommy Colina’s Kitchen until it closed completely 2014 after a failed attempt at opening a second location. Farnam House Brewing Company operated a restaurant out of the first floor and brewed beer in the same basement that was used to store furs until it closed as a result of the pandemic in 2022. In 2024 it became the home to Tate of India.

The store front furthest to the east, 3558 Farnam was the long time home to Brick’s Liquor. Sam Brick opened his shop in 1949 and remained there until 1955 or so. Even after his departure, Emma Briggs ran the store for more than two decades. It seems that this store front was absorbed into the 3568 at some point thereafter.

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Until next time, keep exploring!