The Omaha City Council unanimously approved a Class D liquor license for the owner of Johnny Casino’s convenience store, located on Leavenworth Street. The decision permits the store to sell alcohol in closed containers, strictly prohibiting on-site consumption.
Johnny Casino’s convenience store, which already offers household goods, snacks, and other essentials, aims to become a one-stop shop for the neighborhood by adding alcohol to its inventory. However, this approval comes with specific restrictions, including a ban on selling small shooter bottles (50 milliliters or less).
The decision followed discussions about challenges in the neighborhood and concerns from local residents regarding increased alcohol availability. Councilman Danny Begley of Omaha’s 3rd District acknowledged the progress made by the neighborhood association in addressing longstanding issues and emphasized the importance of not jeopardizing those efforts.
“It’s an active neighborhood association that has made a lot of headway in the challenges they’ve dealt with over several years,” Begley said. “What we don’t want is to take a step back.”
Attempts to reach the neighborhood association for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
This development highlights the balance between supporting local businesses and addressing community concerns in Omaha’s growing neighborhoods.