TOP TEN Omaha Nurseries: Choices are based on Customer Service; Plant quality, selection and health; Price: Location
Top 10 Omaha Nurseries
10. Mulhall’s Nursery – 30 points
Mullhall’s is a crowd favorite. It’s located on 120th and Maple, and is easily accessible to the general public. Mullhall’s is known for their variety of indoor and outdoor plants. All around the nursery there are staff willing to help you and ask any questions.
Mulhall’s Nursery scored high in staff helpfulness and quality, but they lacked in having brochures and guides readily available and they did not have online assistance. They also did not have online ordering. Because of all these factors, they are 10th on the list.
9. Benson Plant Rescue – 30 points
The Benson Plant Rescue is a non-profit organization that uses its proceeds to benefit the Omaha Public Library by donating children’s books, iMacs, and iPads. Their main goal is to combat global warming through the recycling of nursery goods from area retailers and surplus plants from gardens.
They had extremely affordable prices and a very wide range of plants. Their staff was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, but the building they are located in feels cramped and unorganized. They also did not offer online services besides a virtual tour of their location. They ranked 9th on our list.
8. Yanos Nursery – 31 points
Yanos Nursery’s main focus is on outdoor landscaping. On their website they even offer online shopping for different kinds of mulch. They still offer a variety of outdoor plants; however, that isn’t their main focus compared to the others.
The scores for the Yanos Nursery were very average, most of them being 3s, but they did score high 5s in online ordering and the quality of their plants. They are 8th on our list.
7. Lanoha Nurseries – 32 points
Lanoha is a well known nursery in the West Omaha community. According to reviews online, their pricing of their indoor and outdoor plants are lower than Mulhalls. Lanoha has a variety of indoor and outdoor plants as well as provides landscaping for local businesses and homeowners.
Lanoha Nurseries had high scores in brochures and guides being readily available, staff helpfulness, and the quality of their plants as well as variety, but they lacked in their online assistance and online ordering. They are 7th on our list.
6. Earl May Nursery & Garden Center – 34 points
Earl May is a nursery here in Omaha. It’s located off of 90th and Center. It’s a small nursery compared to Mulhalls. However, they still carry a variety of indoor and outdoor plants.
Earl May scored high in their staff helpfulness, brochures and guides, and their quality of plants as well as variety. They lacked in that they did not have online ordering. The small nursery earned 6th place on our list.
5. Sheelytown – 38 points
Sheelytown is a tiny building with a surprising selection of indoor plants, including everything from low-care basics to air plants and orchids. Staff is extremely friendly and helpful, and will offer to either replant purchases into pots purchased on-site, or teach the buyer how to do it themselves. In addition, they carry pots and arts by local artists, and have a monthly “makers market” in the parking lot. While it did not rank as high as the others, it might be appealing for a recent graduate student looking for an “experience” along with their new houseplant.
4. Indian Creek Nursery – 41 points
Indian Creek is close to UNO, with multiple greenhouses for outdoor plans. At the same time, the site is small enough for the large staff to greet everyone and offer advice. They do have an extensive greenhouse of houseplants, especially succulents, and pots and potting soil, but not a large selection of pre-potted, ready to go. Also, they do not have brochures or guides, but they do allow online ordering.
Indian Creek’s high score landed them 4th on our list.
The Top 3 Solutions
1. Estate Landscape and Nursery
2. Canoyer Garden Center
3. Dee-sign Landscaping and Garden Shop
As a reminder, the audience for this rating is a recent college graduate who lives near UNO, has a new apartment and a new workspace. They have some experience with indoor plants, but are looking for a nursery-shopping experience that combines helpful, knowledgeable staff, a wide variety of plants and decorative options, online support and affordable prices. They are very comfortable researching options online in advance, but also would like to learn more about how to enliven their work and home environments with plants, to possibly join a beginners-plant group and to be able to use the nursery’s staff to learn more about how to care for plants. While they do not have landscaping needs yet, they are likely to establish loyalty with a nursery that can meets all their needs now and in the future.
3) Dee-sign Landscaping and Garden Shop – 42 points
This garden shop not only offers plants but also landscaping services. They offer online services to show products on sale. They have a wide variety of trees and shrubs, annuals and tropicals, and seasonal planters in their garden shop. They also offer patio and garden decor and also workshop events.
While their selection isn’t as big as the next two, they do have quality plants at affordable prices. Their online shopping makes it easy for online users to shop if they do not want to leave their home.
2) Canoyer Garden Center – 44 points
The Canoyer Garden Center is not only known for offering plants, but also planters, decorations, art, soil, and much more. This garden center has a wide range of online services as well as a program to get seasonal plants delivered to your home. While they have a wide variety of plants, they aren’t as affordable as the other solutions. Their garden center not only has plants, but also a Glasshouse Market which is a boutique gift shop. They offer home accents, unique gifts, and lots of glass items.
They offer plants not only plants in planters, but also ones in the thin plastic planters that will need to be replaced as the plant grows larger. They have a wide variety of plants from succulents to indoor house plants, to large hanging plants for the patio. They update their site with events happening as well as promotions.
Top Solution
1) Estate Landscape and Nursery – 48 points
This nursery is the largest indoor grower inside the city limits of Omaha. They have a greenhouse that is the home of many annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, roses, vegetable plants, and many more. They have fantastic customer service and offer a huge selection and great quality. They offer many online services and they offer a 3D tour online.
The aesthetic of their site is incredible and there is so much to choose from. Many plants are ready in a planter of the right size to take home while others are in small plastic planters that will need to be replaced once the plant grows and gets bigger. There is so much to choose from, and from a huge variety of prices. They offer plants for purchase as well as landscaping services.
Their website is regularly updated with what is up and coming. They also give you a guide online for what type of plants you are looking for based on categories such as sun loving plants, shade loving plants, and sun/part shade plants.
Top 5 Quick Reasons Estate Landscape and Nursery is #1
1. Largest indoor grower in the Omaha area
2. Excellent customer service for all experience levels
3. 3-D Tour online
4. Wide variety of pre-planted options
5. Wide range of prices to fit any budget
How this relates to our Profile Person:
For a shopper looking for a nursery that combines price, selection, online support, and in-person customer service, Estate Landscape is the best choice. Estate Landscape ranked highest in every category, from physical location to online support. It is easy to imagine someone doing online research about which plant types might work best for their new workspace, taking the 3-D tour and going to the nursery to discuss options with a staff member. Based off of their research and the online support, their plants might thrive to the point of needing to be repotted, with solutions that Estate could provide. Location, selection and affordability are all considerations for this shopper, and Estate meets all of these needs.
For more information about these Omaha nurseries:
Websites:
https://www.facebook.com/Chlorophyll-by-Kinghorn-Gardens-112816624243854/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cirians-farmers-market-omaha
https://mulhalls.com/
https://bensonplantrescue.org/?page_id=306
https://www.yanosnursery.com/
https://lanohanurseries.com/
https://www.earlmay.com/
https://www.sheelytownmarket.com/
https://www.indiancreeknursery.com/
https://www.dee-signlandscaping.com/
https://www.canoyergardencenter.com/papillion
https://www.estatenursery.com
The Daily Grind: Best Coffee Shops in Omaha
THE DAILY GRIND
The Daily Grind is committed to providing its clients with an experience similar to that of enjoying a solid cup of coffee: exquisite taste, a cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and the energy you need to kick start your goals. As we like to say, “We work and grind to ease your mind.”
Omaha is a gem of a Midwest city with an unexpected charm that sneaks up on you and takes one by surprise in the most magnificent way. With a wave of college students and young professionals flocking to the “Silicon Prairie” the local coffee scene continues to thrive. When it comes to finding the perfect cup of coffee with the best experience in town, the team at The Daily Grind has your mug filled.
Our team of devoted professionals and consultants used the standard agenda process to ensure that we delivered a well researched and unbiased review of the best coffee houses in Omaha that are considered a “double shot” of delight. After understanding our charge and developing our question, we narrowed in on the coffee drinking demographic. While many in Omaha frequent their favorite coffee spots for various reasons, we focused on a specific audience of “coffee connoisseurs.” These connoisseurs are young professionals, ranging in ages from 25-40, who are well traveled and community driven individuals. They not only enjoy good coffee but the good people and atmosphere that is served on the side.
Other criteria for our audience includes: a locally owned shop with later afternoon and evening hours, a variety of specialty coffee options, an array of food available, free parking and WiFi, comfortable indoor and outdoor seating options for work and socializing, and the community vibe of a coffee shop that offers entertainment and other special events. The components were assigned point values related to their importance in leading our demographic to the best coffee shop experience. We compiled a list of 19 coffee shops in the Greater Omaha area and with thorough and meticulous research, we narrowed the list down to the top ten featured below.
We are sure these top 10 coffee shops will have you buzzing with excitement!
If you are feeling caffeinated, click *HERE* to take our interactive coffee quiz to see which coffee shop is for you!
The Top Ten coffee shops in Omaha according to The Daily Grind are as follows:
#10 Karma Koffee
Where they are all about “karma”, a good cup of coffee, and some wonderful food. They believe in excellent service and quality homemade food.
#9 Urban Abbey
“Coffee. Cause. Communion” is the idea behind this coffee shop. There are many events that happen here each week, and everyone is welcome and included to participate while enjoying a nice cup of coffee and quality homemade food.
An artisan coffee shop, located in the Omaha Conservatory of Music, where you can sit back and enjoy a good cup of coffee prepared with locally roasted coffee beans and listen to some live music and recharge.
A specialty, small batch coffee roaster and bakery with three brick and mortar locations in the Omaha metro. All three locations offer an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating and friendly staff. Check out their story time event every Friday morning!
An Old Market local favorite with a mission to connect others within the community. Not only do they offer coffee, bagels, smoothies, and tea but customers can also enjoy pool tables, foosball, and recently launched their own music venue, The Well.
Located in West Omaha, Green Beans Coffee is run by a retired Air Force veteran and prides itself on donating a percentage of sales to organizations that support services to men and women in uniform. Support the troops by enjoying coffee, tea, smoothies, pastries, and a full food menu.
#4 Culprit Cafe
A cozy downtown cafe with a unique assortment of specialty drinks, pastries, and brunch items. Plenty of space to enjoy an intimate breakfast or couches to relax with a latte and friends.
Top Three Choices
The Daily Grind’s top three solutions for the best coffee shop in the Omaha Metro were all rated considerably high, with the top spot setting itself apart by 7 points. Despite all of the top 10 coffee shops scoring within the 80-90 range, the top three were scored highest in the areas that were most aligned with our target audience’s needs.
All three of the solutions scored maximum points in locally owned, WiFi, star rating, parking, and specialty drinks and varied slightly in the other categories. The first and second runner up spots both tied at 89 points. We referenced what was most important to our demographic profile, and looked more deeply at the hours and comfort category. Having a coffee shop that was open later and provided more community events and locally sold merchandise, pushed Drips ahead of Zen Coffee with full consensus from the team. Stories Coffee Company was the clear winner, with the only shop to score over 90 points. Other outstanding factors that make Stories Coffee Company the winner are described below.
Second Runner-Up: Zen Coffee Company
230 S 25th St Unit 3, Omaha 68131
- Monday – Friday 7AM – 5PM
- Saturday – Sunday 8AM – 5PM
Zen Coffee Company strives to be a great place to get together with your friends and just be “zen”. The shop is very welcoming upon entry and there is a large counter with snacks to wet your appetite while thinking about your order, not to mention the multiple coffee choices. You can even shop at the store while you wait for your order. This locally owned coffee shop is certified Green! They provide free WiFi and parking and the reviews on social media gave them a high average of 4.8. There is even a room in the back that is available to rent for a meeting or special get together. The owners really believe in giving back to the community so special events are held periodically and more information can be found on their website. It was a close one!
https://goo.gl/maps/73AqoLwwFSsfZUvY7
First Runner-Up: (drips)
2205 N 24th St, Omaha 68110
- Monday – Friday 9AM – 9PM
- Saturday 10AM – 5PM
- Sunday 11AM – 9PM
(drips) coffee is an experience like no other. Upon entering the store customers are greeted with an unique collection of art, plants, and music. Customers frequent this locally owned gem not only for the fantastic coffee and plethora of menu items but for the above average service they receive. Located near the highlander neighborhood, (drips) offers a peaceful gathering place for people of all backgrounds to enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee. (drips) offers hours well into the evening and hosts an array of events for community members including introductory DJ classes. Whether you are looking to enjoy a superb cup of pour over coffee, a refreshing craft soda or to check out a new band after hours (drips) is the place for you.
https://goo.gl/maps/pBi1S3uKqT3mFACz5
Winner: Stories Coffee Company
11426 Davenport St. Ste 1 Omaha, NE 68154
- Monday – Thursday 6AM – 9PM
- Friday – Saturday 6AM – 10PM
- Sunday 9AM – 5PM
Stories Coffee Company is a distinguished coffee shop located just west of 680 and Dodge in Omaha, Nebraska. For coffee connoisseurs, this is a coffee shop they can’t afford to miss! Between Google, Facebook, and Yelp reviews, Stories Coffee Company holds an average star rating of 4.9. This star rating exemplifies the variety of attributes that make Stories Coffee Company the best in Omaha. The shop is locally owned, has free WiFi and parking, and is a comfortable spot to entertain friends. Along with roasting their own beans, Stories Coffee Company offers a wide variety of specialty coffee drinks (10+). These specialty drinks can be paired with an array of food choices from their menu to ensure customers leave this shop with a boost in energy as well as a full stomach. As well as serving great coffee and food, Stories Coffee Company also entertains their guests with live music by local musicians.
https://goo.gl/maps/T9LD2d5CKCFPsyN48
*Produced by UNO students as one project for the Communication Teamwork & Facilitation Course
The Omaha Pizza Pickers
We know pizza.
Type: College, right? We have BEEN there. You are trying to do your homework, while managing work, and just trying to find something cheap and warm to fill your belly. You are looking for comfort food, and what’s better than a warm slice of cheesy deliciousness? I am talking about pizza. We know that college students are always searching for a place to eat and study, so our task was to find a way to cater to both of those needs. We needed to make sure the type of pizza parlor was social but also could work as a study space either individually or with a group of friends. The type of parlor made a large impact into what we wanted for our top 3. You’ll see why.
Location Parameters: Location is everything! With considering the distance from college campus in the metro, we decided to pick the metro area, especially with the crazy amount of pizza places around! We decided to make our parameters from no farther west than 84th and Dodge and no farther east than Midtown Crossing so that our college students have a list of pizza places that are close to them.
Audience: Our audience Monty, is of course college students! We wanted to cater to their specific needs and wants because they play such a large part in the success with businesses around campus. With UNO being centrally located in Omaha, along with College of Saint Mary and Creighton just a short drive away, we felt using the age demographic of college students between 18-24 years was head on with what our target goal was. We centered each individual aspect of the top ten to represent what a college student looks for when looking for the PERFECT pizza parlor to hangout at, eat for a good price, or enjoy time with other students.
THE TOP TEN
Our top ten was chosen on a numerous amount of categories that we decided on uniamously as a team. As we are all college students Monty, who else knows what college students want more than us? Our top ten consisted of well known and deeply rooted in the Omaha community pizza parlors. In a time with so much uncertainty for locally owned small businesses, we decided only to included locally owned pizza shops to support our community.
#10- Sgt. Peffers
A locally owned and beloved italian restaurant in the Omaha Metro that just HAPPENS to be inspired of the well loved band called The Beatles. We chose The Omaha Dundee location off of Saddle Creek, because it is a favorite spot for college students of all campuses for how central of a location is offered to them With a variety of different dishes offered, each student can find something they look forward to eating. Not to mention the prices are pretty great for the amount of food you get. Ranging from $10-20 dollars for a pizza, it is sure to satisfy. With hours ranging to 10 P.M. this is a place where college students can get a late night home cooked italian meal. For our target audience, they can expect to find a unique small and quiet restaurant setting, making it a perfect location to grab a bit and study.
#9- Brick Oven Pizza
A locally owned and fan favorite by all in the Omaha community, we know that this pizza parlor would crack the top ten! Brick Oven Pizza has been serving pies for ten years now to students all around the metro! They offer large pies and are a dine in or take out pizza parlor as well. But do you want to know why they came in at #9 on our list? They are open until 2AM That’s right. TWO! College students love their late night food runs, and based on our criteria, thats a way to make it on to our list! Prices for pizza here are very reasonable ranging from small to large pizzas.For a college student demographic, this a small restaurant with a quiet atmosphere, making it a perfect place to study and relax or hangout with a small group of friends.
#8- Varsity Pizza
Are you looking for a pizza parlor that is both a pizza joint and a sports bar? Well look no further because coming in at #7 is Varsity Pizza/ Roman Coin Pizza. With locations located all over the metro including Millard, Dundee, and Bellevue, it was no shock that this pizza place was in our top ten. A college student demographic would find varsity to be a loud ambiance with many televisions to watch a big game or hangout with friends. This pizza is also very affordable for a college students budget. With late night hours extending until even 11, we know that this pizza joint was one for the older college students as well. Whether your dining in or carrying out, you are in for a treat!
#7- Nolis Pizza
Nolis Pizzeria is fairly new to the Omaha area, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t made its mark! Voted the best pizza in omaha in 2017 and 2018, they know what they are doing! Nolis came in at #7 as it is well known for their New York style pizza dishes and with two locations close to UNO’s campus, it is sure to be a stop for any college student. Not to mention they are open until at least 10 P.M. every night, so any college student can get their pizza craving covered! Nolis is a more upscale atmosphere then some of the other categories of pizza on our list, so expect an ambience of a modern and classy pizza parlor. Great for a single night out or a date night with a college classmate. Prices at Noli’s are a bit more expensive for a large pizza, but they do offer slices so you can’t go wrong!
#6- Romeos Pizza
Nacho typical restaurant! A classic to all Omaha natives, Romeos can kick the craving for a good tex-mex meal, and of course pizza! With an inviting atmosphere and a variety of food options you can’t go wrong! This cracked our top ten list at #6 because of their variety of pizzas, wifi, extended hours until 10 P.M. and they have six locations in the Omaha area! Romeos is a fun atmosphere that is perfect for studying or having a night out with friends! Our target demographic can expect very reasonable prices and a variety of sizes to choose from. You can’t go wrong!
#5- Backlot Taphouse
Backlot Taphouse is one of the only pizza joints in Omaha that serves Detroit style pizza, without having to travel all the way to Detroit! Located in the heart of Aksarben this place is #5 on our list because of its prime location close to the campuses, their build your own pizza style, and a plentiful amount of salads and sides. They also have hours that are great for any college student to sit in and study, or hangout with friends and share a bite. Backlot Taphouse is great for the target demographic as it has a variety of styles and prices for pizza. The experience offered here is an upbeat and modern style of ambience, which is great for a night out with friends or classmates.
#4 Lighthouse Pizza
A local and classic favorite for college students in the metro, it is no surprise that this fan favorite is #4 on our top ten list. Crafted in 2012, lighthouse has many different factors that got it its #4 spot on our list. Lighthouse Pizza is open until 3 A.M, it offers large pizza slices for individuals ( trust us, you will get full!) and not to mention its signature sauce that makes their pizza top to none! Centrally located in the Omaha metro, this place couldn’t be a better option for a hungry college student. The ambience of Lighthouse Pizza is perfect for the target demographic. Lighthouse is a great mixture of a small modern pizza parlor that offers slices or full pies, making the cost of Lighthouse very reasonable.
Top Three Pizza Parlors in Omaha for College Students
#3- Zios Pizza
An Omaha classic, we knew that this New York style pizza parlor would be in our top three pizza places in Omaha. Zios is known for its authentic New York crust and has been apart of the Omaha Community since 1985. With three locations in the Omaha Metro, it was a perfect fit for our target demographic. The location located and 78th and Dodge has been known to partner with universities and offer many discounts and deals for weekly specials, making it a affordable option for our target demographic. The atmosphere and style of this parlor is modern and unique, but still holds a quiet and relaxing atmosphere making it perfect to study or hangout with friends. All locations offer wifi and they have over 40 different toppings making it a great place for a variety. Hours are limited as they are only open until 9 P.M. but you can’t go wrong with this Omaha classic!
#2- Copps Pizza
New to the Omaha area, Copps has already made a name for itself in the Metro area. Opening in 2019, Copps has already partnered with UNO for Destress Fest, UNO Student Traditions, and offered free mini pizzas during dead week. We knew that they’d crack our top 3. Centrally located on 72nd and Jones, this pizza place is in the heart of Aksarben and offers a central location to UNO’s Aksarben Campus and College of Saint Mary. Prices at Copps are extremely reasonable, especially for our target demographic. Here our target audience should expect an upbeat and social atmosphere, making it perfect for a large study group. They offer wifi for free at their central location and are open until 10PM daily, making it a perfect late night pizza location for our demographic.
#1 Pizza Parlor in Omaha Nebraska for College Students
You guessed it! Godfathers in Omaha Nebraska is a staple in any Nebraskans diet. You grew up on it, ate it for supper, had it during a big game. Being an Omaha Native restaurant, we chose this as our number one for a variety of reasons. The first is that there are 17 locations in the Omaha Metro, but one is conveniently close located in the Aksarben Area, close to UNO Dodge Campus, Scott Campus, and College of Saint Mary it is a quick stop for any college student. This location in particular offers a free party room, which gave them points that nearly no other pizza parlor earned, they have been known to partner with UNO, sponsoring UNO Hockey and holding volunteer events with organizations such as Maverick Productions. Godfather’s is extremely reasonably priced, which is a great bonus for our target audience, and the ambience of Godfather’s is a great mixture of a modern, quiet, and social atmosphere that would be great for a study date, group study session, and a get together before a hockey game. They have great hours open until 10PM on weekdays and 11 P.M. on Friday and Saturdays. Godfathers has basically established itself as the #1 choice for college students by a variety of reasons, we just happened to agree.
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Welcome to Our Blog
Each page shows a brief summary from student projects for Dr. Dwyer’s Communication Teamwork, and Facilitation Class (CMST 4560/8566). The students formed their own teams in consulting firms and learned, practiced, and relied on the Standard Agenda for problem solving in teamwork. In their team-firms, they practiced effective facilitation skills, strong trust-building techniques, adaptive leadership, effective meeting management, appropriate conflict resolution techniques, consensus building, and effective communication skills to complete the real-world project of creating a portfolio and writing a chapter for the Best of the Omaha-Metro Area Community Guidebook and Blog.
The UNO Course: The Communication, Teamwork, and Facilitation Course
This CMST 4560/8566 course examines the practices and theory associated with team problem solving, facilitation, group-decision making, and training in effective group interaction. Research shows that, when left to free discussion, work teams will often struggle to perform effectively or reach consensus. In response, communication scholars have developed many meeting techniques, procedures, and practices that provide guidelines on how to organize team or group interaction to communicate more effectively and to achieve successful goal attainment. In this course student learn those techniques and as well as effective conversational practices, the standard agendas for problem solving, effective group facilitation, trust-building leadership, and training of team members.
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Welcome to our Class Blog.
This Blog represents the Best of Omaha Metro picks by UNO Students.
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
BestOfOmahaMetro 