Omaha Exploration

Within the South 24th Street business district sits a small cafe that has operated as such for nearly 100 years. Located at 5110 S 24th St, the small building was constructed in 1905. While I’m not aware of its primary purpose, it had been a series of cafes from the 1930’s until present. They included Dot’s, Benny’s, Shorty’s and finally Maltini’s Cafe which closed in 1950.

The revolving door of names would stop in 1951 when Lucille (Lou) Spreitz purchased it and opened the Home Cafe. Aunt Lou was born Lucille Humfeld in Fairbury in 1906. She moved to Omaha in 1922 and married Joseph Spreitzer who worked for Metropolitan Utilities District. Lou would go on to eventually find work in the lard refinery department in the South Omaha meat packing houses where she remained for 12 years.

While Joe had initially wanted to open a hamburger stand, Lou convinced him to instead open another cafe in this location when it went up for sale in 1951. Together they opened Home Cafe though Lou was in charge.

Due to the popularity of the cafe and the long hours, she employed 12 women to assist her. Lou was very hands-on and preferred to do most of the cooking herself. She would unlock the doors at 5 AM every morning when the first of the packing house workers would arrive for a hearty breakfast. At that point she would begin serving coffee, cooking up bacon, eggs and hotcakes until the rest of her staff arrived. 

In order to provide hot meals for the nearby stockyard workers, her cafe was open from 5 AM until 11 PM or until 2 AM on the weekends. After the whistle sounded at the packing houses, the first shift of diners would leave only to be followed by the next shift. Lou was the driving force behind South Omaha’s “cozy” cafe which would serve as many as 500 per day. Oftentimes Home Cafe would get so crowded that people would just stand around and wait for an open table. 

Beloved by her customers, employees and community alike, Aunt Lou was particularly fond of children whom she would often give free ice cream on a hot day. While she sold the Home Cafe in 1968 it would live on and remains open today. Meanwhile she would remain in the restaurant business operating both the Trucker’s Cafe and Lounge at Lake Manawa, and Lou’s Grill at 21st and Q Streets. After her Joe passed away in 1975, she retired. Aunt Lou passed away just three years later in 1978.

Since the closing of the last packing house in 1976 and the eventually closing of the stockyards altogether in 1999, Home Cafe isn’t nearly as busy as it once was. It remains a fixture along 24th Street where one can get not only traditional breakfast fare but also tacos and other items. Among the most popular options at the cash only establishment are hamburgers, roast beef sandwiches and pork tenderloin.

Please feel free to comment to share your thoughts and memories.

Until next time, keep exploring!

Additional pictures

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