Steve Mercer’s Time Out Foods

October 3, 2023

Both Bob Gibson and Bob Boozer were well established in their professional sports careers when the Swanson brothers approached them to be the face of a new fast food chain called Time Out Take Out. This was right after the brothers opened the first Here’s Johnny’s restaurant using the name and likeness of Johnny Carson. The brothers, Gilbert and Jay Swanson, were sons of Carl A. Swanson whose frozen food company later introduced the TV dinner in 1953.

Gilbert said that the purpose of this endeavor was to get minorities into the mainstream of today’s business. The goal was to open 100 franchises in cities throughout the country by 1969. To kick things off, he made the two Bobs stockholders and provided them with management roles in the parent company.

1969 Omaha World-Herald photograph of Bob Gibson and Bob Boozer at the grand opening of Time Out Take Out.

What was intended to be the first location was opened at the intersection of 30th and Evans Streets, near where the friends would grow up in North Omaha. Located at 3518 North 30th Street, the restaurant was intended to be the model and training center for the other franchises. The restaurant had a pretty standard fast-food menu of hamburgers, fried chicken and french fries. It opened to a lot of fanfare and nearly 400 people attended the grand opening.

1969 advertisement for Time Out Take Out in the Omaha Star.

The restaurant performed well and co-manager LeRoy Tyree Sr. bought the restaurant under a franchise agreement in 1970. Not long after that, the Swansons abandoned the franchise plan citing economic conditions that made it nearly impossible for minorities to secure the financing necessary to open a franchise. This also resulted in the Bobs withdrawing from the company. By 1972, the one and only Time Out Take Out closed its doors.

Photo courtesy of Time Out Foods Facebook page.

Time Out found new life when the Mercer family bought the restaurant in 1972. Their son Steve got involved in the restaurant when he was just 12 years old, and he would go on to purchase it from them in 1982 when he was just 22. That is when Mercer developed the secret recipe for what many would call Omaha’s best fried chicken. Even though its burgers and crinkle cut fries were popular, the fried chicken had such a devoted fan base that the restaurant was sometimes referred to as Time Out Chicken.

August 2024 Omaha Exploration photo of Time Out Foods at 30th and Evans St.

The restaurant under the Mercer family became an anchor of the North Omaha community over the years. Much of its success can be attributed to Mercer, who also managed a local band, organized community events and created scholarships. It was not unheard of for students to come into the restaurant excited to show him their good grades. It was a shock when Mercer suddenly passed away in 2019 at just 59 years old. His death resulted in a temporary closure of the restaurant.

August 2024 Omaha Exploration photo of the north side of Time Out Foods.

Today the restaurant is open and remains family owned. It is one of Omaha’s oldest Black-owned businesses. It has been named Omaha’s best fried chicken multiple times since Mercer developed his secret recipe over 40 years ago. Not only that, but its longtime owner was honored by the city in 2023 when it renamed Evans Street from 30th Street to John A. Creighton Boulevard as Steven L. Mercer Street.

Evans Street which runs next to Time Out Foods renamed as Steven L. Mercer Street.

Content written by Omaha Exploration. See my website for sources. If you enjoy my content, sign up to receive emails or make a donation on my website. You can also follow along or subscribe on my Facebook page. Thank you and keep exploring!