Sam Vacanti’s Old Mill Lounge

November 24, 2023

One of West Omaha’s oldest bars was founded by one of the few Nebraska Cornhusker quarterbacks to play that position professionally. His name was Sam Vacanti.

1958 Durham Museum photo for the Old Mill near 100th and Dodge. This is near where Old Mill Shopping Center and Old Mille Lounge are today.

Vacanti first played for Iowa in 1941 and 1942 before transferring to Purdue the following year. He returned to college in 1946, where he played for Nebraska after serving in the South Pacific with the Marine Corps during World War II. Over the next three seasons, Vacanti played professionally for both the Chicago Rockets and Baltimore Colts.

1946 photo of Sam Vacanti appearing in the Omaha World-Herald in 1981. By 1974 he would open Old Mill Lounge.

Following his professional career, he rejoined the Marines during the Korean War and eventually achieved the rank of major. In 1951 he proved he still had his golden arm, throwing three touchdowns while leading his team to victory in the all-Marine football championship game. Following his retirement from the armed forces, he worked as a life insurance agent and taught high school geography. He also served as the state athletic commissioner in addition to serving on the city council.

1974 advertisement of the Old Mill Lounge in the Omaha World-Herald.

Vacanti opened the Old Mill Lounge in the Old Mill Shopping Center in 1972. Its namesake dated back to 1865, when the McArdle Mill, which sat along the Big Papio Creek, was more than eight miles west of Omaha. More than a century later, the city finally caught up with it. By that time, developers had the idea of turning this area on both sides of Dodge into commercial space.

Exterior of Old Mill Lounge in the Old Mill Centre on 108th and West Dodge Frontage Rd.

While they built a business park on the south side, the north side was turned into the shopping center. Located at 10944 West Dodge Road, the Old Mill Lounge remains the only original tenant of that shopping center. His mill-themed bar featured exposed wood beams, three levels (not floors) with tables, a paddlewheel waterfall, brass chandeliers, leaded glass above the square bar, and a small dance floor next to the jukebox.

By the time its founder passed away in 1981, Bob Mackie, the former teacher, coach, assistant principal, and athletic director at Northwest High School, had taken over for a period of time. Soon after, it changed hands again, but the bar became a popular place for live music. In 1991, it was voted by Omaha World-Herald readers as one of the best places to go for live jazz and blues.

Omaha Exploration photo of the back patio space at Old Mill Lounge.

The Old Mill Lounge serves as a contrast to Cunningham’s, the sports bar to its east with dozens of TVs and an impressive craft beer selection. By comparison, the veteran- and woman-owned lounge has the aesthetic of your friend’s basement from the 1970s, with stone walls, dark wood, leaded glass, a wood-burning fireplace, and yes, a TV for Husker games. More than 50 years after Vacanti opened it, it remains one of the best bars west of 72nd Street.

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