LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
T
his issue of Food &
Spirits Magazine
marks our 5th Anniversary.
For me, and for FSM,
it’s been quite a ride.
Coincidence or not, the ups
and downs in my life have
mirrored the roller coaster
this magazine has been on.
Five years ago the country
was in the worst recession
in decades – one from
which we’re still slowly
recovering. In addition,
print publications, to put it mildly, were not seen as an industry
on the rise. There was even talk that print was (gasp!) dead. In my
personal life, significant events (a divorce, the death of my mother,
and a move) continued to happen.
“The food and spirits industry
is evolving faster than ever
and shows no signs of slowing.
In five years the standard for quality
has risen drastically.”
I wouldn’t say all that is behind us now, but things are different.
Omaha weathered the horrible economy remarkably well. We’re
seeing a surge in development. The food and spirits industry is
evolving faster than ever and shows no signs of slowing. In five years
the standard for quality has risen drastically.
Print, while still finding its place in the social media world, is
holding up well. The market may be changing, but the important
things like stellar content and supportive sponsors still make all the
difference.
In 2008 I had been back from San Francisco to my native
Nebraska for only a year, and had no plans to start Food & Spirits
Magazine. Unique factors and the swell of creativity made Omaha
seem like the perfect place to create a national-caliber magazine. I
felt if I didn’t take a chance then and there, I’d regret it.
What did I see that changed the course of my life?
Industry know-how: I was blown away by the bar and restaurant
scene in Omaha. Coming from San Francisco, I was impressed
by the core group of innovative and passionate chefs, bartenders
and owners and their excellent established concepts, while yet still
looking to push boundaries. They were putting Omaha on the map.
The Institute for the Culinary Arts was contributing a groundswell
of knowledge. The scene surprised and inspired me.
Creative expertise: I returned to Omaha with a vague notion that
something special was happening in the music scene, but I never
6
expected to find all the other creative arts flourishing so abundantly.
I met tremendously talented writers, artists, photographers and
designers striving for the same things the food and spirits industry
was pushing for: innovation and creative respect.
“Omaha may seem conservative,
but I was grateful to find so many
people willing to support a new idea
that added something to our city
– and put their dollars behind it.”
Support for risk takers: Omaha may seem conservative, but I was
grateful to find so many people willing to support a new idea that
added something unique to our city—and put their dollars behind
it. Our advertisers supported this magazine for free distribution
throughout the entire city. I’ll always be colossally grateful for their
willingness to take a chance. Likewise, Omahans are impressively
willing to try new places and expand their horizons, pulling our
community together.
“Thank you, so very much, every
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