Anton Schneider’s Village Bar

March 4, 2024

One of just two buildings to be spared when the Easter Tornado of 1913 ripped through downtown Ralston, the building at 77th and Mechanic Street is the oldest in town. Its longtime tenant, The Village Bar, remains a source of pride for the community.

Built in 1890, the building at 77th and Mechanic Street in Ralston, Nebraska has served as a grocery store, pool hall, hardware store, mortuary, steakhouse, and most recently a bar during the course of its life.

1913 Durham Musem photo of downtown Ralston following the tornado. The building that is home to The Village Bar is in the background with some of its windows boarded up.

Anton (Tony) Schneider (1895-1963) was born in what is now Yugoslavia and immigrated to the U.S. in 1913, the same year the famous tornado killed 116 people in Omaha and seven in Ralston while damaging or destroying more than 2,000 homes and buildings. The winds were reported to have been so strong that they picked up a pair of tongs and hurled them into a wall of the building, where they remained for many years until the building was remodeled.

Anton started a family a few years later and found work as a butcher in the meat packing plants in South Omaha. He retired from the grind by 1940 and opened Schneider’s Tavern at 2717 Q Street. In 1947 he moved into a former bar operated by Wilmer and Anna Baker in the old building at 77th and Mechanic. The new bar, which measured less than 1,000 sq. ft., was named The Village Bar after the community which it called home. By this time, the Village of Ralston had a population of less than 1,000 residents. He would operate the bar alongside his son, Tony Jr., until 1953.

October 2023 photo of The Village Bar at the corner of 77th and Park Dr.

Before Marvin Bade purchased the bar in 1954, it was briefly run by Oscar Streit of Cresco, Iowa. Oscar had operated bars for the previous 10 years in Iowa. Marvin expanded the bar in 1958 by purchasing the two adjoining storefronts. He added a kitchen, dining room, and party room in those spaces while remodeling the existing bar. By this time, he renamed the business The Village Bar and Steak House. In addition to steak, the restaurant served homemade pizza, chicken, seafood, and barbecued ribs. Its run as a restaurant appears to have ended around 1963. Marvin continued to own the building but would turn the operation of the bar over to his son, Tom, who would sell the bar to its current owner in 2011.

Photo looking inside The Village Bar from a few years ago.

Brock Hatterman put his stamp on the longtime bar, which now reflects an address of 5700 S 77th Street, by improving the atmosphere, adding a variety of craft beer options and introducing a number of specialty cocktails. Considered among the best dive bars in the area, The Village offers a surprising number of entertainment options in its small space including darts, skee ball, music, Golden Tee, not to mention disco balls, dance lights and even Jeopardy!

2022 photo of the apartment building with The Village Bar sign on display.

The fact that The Village Bar is still going strong 76 years since Anton first opened the doors is a tribute to its strong owners who recognize and appreciate its place in the community. It remains a community gathering place that welcomes its Ralston regulars along with visitors from Omaha and elsewhere. Located in the city center, the bar is about more than just its fun atmosphere but also plays an important role in the community by hosting multiple fundraisers. Its mission can best be summed up by its owner’s words in a 2016 interview with the Omaha World-Herald: “treat people honestly, give back to your community, and, most importantly, have a great time doing it.”

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