Omaha loses an original Old Market tenant.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:46 pm

Restaurateur won praise for ingenuity

Omaha World Herald wrote:Lloyd T. "Rusty" Harmsen, a noted Omaha restaurateur, died at home early Thursday after a long illness.

Harmsen, 67, known for a string of popular restaurant concepts, was one of the earliest tenants of the Old Market, where three businesses he helped create - Mr. Toad's, Billy Frogg's and the Spaghetti Works - still operate.

He helped transform the Omaha restaurant scene from predominantly steakhouses, said Jim Trebbien of Metropolitan Community College's Institute for the Culinary Arts.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:43 pm

No doubt Harmsen's concepts became some of the most popular spirit/restaurant properties Omaha has seen over the past 3 decades..

RIP Rusty..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

OmahaChef · Post by **OmahaChef** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:22 pm

I thought it was touching that all of his restaurants closed for a day to honor his memory. Guys like this were pioneers, who saw a future for a rundown area of the city. If you look at the large groups of John Deere conventioneers roaming the Old Market every night the last two weeks, it is a testament to the vision he saw many years ago, of a future vibrant part of the city.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:43 pm

I was just mention that to friend OC - I was at the Upstream Wednesday evening and John Deere people were all over the place. OM businesses had signs welcoming them to town and they all looked like they were having a good time. A gret tribute to the early business pioneers of the Old Market like Harmsen.