Omaha Exploration

In the early 1980s, downtown Omaha offered fast food and full-service restaurants, but what was missing were options that fell somewhere in between. Designed to appeal to the many people who worked nearby, Denny Braun opened Manhattan’s.

Braun, the vice president of corporate relocation for Byron Reed, already had restaurant experience — he had opened Nooner’s one year earlier. Located at 13th and Dodge Streets, Nooner’s was left to his partners while he launched Manhattan’s in the Service Life Building at 222 S. 19th Street in 1982.

Situated across from the Rookery Lounge inside the Latenser and Sons-designed Service Life Building, Manhattan’s occupied a space on the east side of the building facing the Woodmen Tower. Judging from the wood-and-glass partitioned rooms, the space appears to have once housed Union State Bank and later a brokerage firm.

The restaurant’s formal dining area proved to be popular with downtown workers. The restaurant became known for its large sandwiches and affordable meals, most of which cost less than $3. In addition to sandwiches, it offered soup, salad, and a handful of other specialties. The restaurant also delivered nearly anywhere in town.

Manhattan’s hit the mark with its fast-casual style, which let customers select their choices from a miniature menu before the wait staff delivered their meals. A labor shortage shortly after opening resulted in the elimination of the wait staff, but the change brought quicker service and even more customers.

To counteract its unusual name, which some mistook for a bank, the restaurant adopted the slogan “fast food in good taste.” As its popularity grew, Denny and his wife Terri looked to franchise the concept. By 1985, the restaurant had expanded to six locations, including three more in Omaha — two out west and one inside Ranch Bowl. Additional locations opened in Lincoln and Sioux City. While they targeted Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Denver for future growth, Denny turned down franchise requests from California and Nevada due to the distance. Manhattan’s moved out of its longtime home in the Service Life Building after developers began its conversion into apartments in 2024.

In 2026, the downtown location at 1802 Farnam Street announced it was closing its doors due to slow business caused by the streetcar construction.

Even though its Aksarben location at 1919 Aksarben Drive lives on in the Blue Cross Building, the closure of the downtown location ends a 44-year run serving those who live and work downtown.

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Sources

• Omaha World-Herald archives