Starting with a single location in Florence, the Peffer brothers opened a second location of their popular pizza joint, Pefferoni’s, one year later in 1981. This would quickly expand to a total of 18 locations in Omaha, Lincoln, Denver and Austin. Popular for its pizza, of course, it also became known for its use of old cars as salad bars which included a 1927 Bugatti Roadster, 1951 MG and 1955 Austin-Healey among others. After Tim and Walter Peffer left the restaurant chain in 1987, there were just four independently owned locations still operating.
The new restaurant’s name was inspired by The Beatles 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Beatles theme extended to the decor inside the restaurant as well as the name of some of the menu items. The small building had just enough room for a kitchen and seven tables though it did have three picnic tables outside. The dive bar that is the Homy Inn was often used as an informal waiting room for those waiting to snag a table inside the popular neighborhood cafe. The kitchen staff at Sgt. Peffer’s would even communicate with the bar across the street via walkie talkie’s in addition to offering free delivery. The restaurant was too small from the very beginning which made the drive through window important.
The recipes were developed by Christina Bianchi Hayes who moved to Omaha from her native Florence, Italy in 1978. As such, the menu had a Florentine spin to it which included the addition of vegetables and meat. The authentic cuisine was made-from-scratch even though it was adapted to allow for greater volume. Other menu items included pizza, pasta, casseroles, sandwiches, salad and soup.
The restaurant expanded in 1989 with the addition of the garden room that doubled the amount of seating inside. Longtime manager Charlie Thompson bought the name and the recipes when he opened a second location at 13760 Millard Ave in 2006. Larger than the original even if it is lacking the same charm of being in a historic neigborhood, it does feature a full bar and a party room. A third location was opened in Carter Lake at 111 E Locust St in 2013 before closing around 2018.
Over the years, pizza shops have pushed the limits of what a pizza can hold; from savory to sweet, the imagination for pizza toppings is seemingly endless. There are those of us who are traditionalists and require few items on a pizza to make us happy. A good crust, basic sauce and properly seasoned ingredients are all you need sometimes; and just because it has loads of cheese on top, does not necessarily make it a better pizza.
Sgt. Peffer’s Café Italiano in particular, has stood the test of time, and continues to convert loyal pizza enthusiasts to fans, year after year. Sgt Peffer’s has a long, rich history in the community and so I decided I wanted to know more about the early beginnings of Sgt. Peffer’s Café Italiano.
Sgt. Peffer's is an Omaha favorite for a reason: it's so dang good.
Their pastas and salads are fresh and tasty, but I come mostly for the pizza. Specifically, either the veggie or the four cheese white. And gosh, they are so so good.
If you've never been, throw out what you think you know about good pizza and order a four cheese white and thank them later! It's a creamy and savory delight!
They also offer a drive thru pick up spot if you've been wise enough to order ahead! The dine in space at this location isn't huge, but it can certainly accommodate you and your family!
Delicious. Quality. Friendly. Tried and true.
My family loves this unique, Italian cuisine, Beatles themed cafe! We have been going here for years and have never had an unpleasant meal. The atmosphere is always friendly and we are always recognized by the staff (probably because of how much we dine there). Our regular pie is the five cheese white with pepperoni and hamburger, and my oh my! What a pie!
We always bring our friends from out of town or if they've never been before. If you check them out we like to see who can name the most Beatles songs! And just remember, everybody loves Ringo.
This was great! If it wasn't for Yelp I never would have known about it. My friend had the lasagna with a giant white roll that looked delicious - and he said it was. He also had the minestrone soup which he also said was very good. I had the 5 cheese pizza (red sauce on the side) on their house made gluten free crust and it was AMAZING! The most cheese I've ever had on a pizza and it was good cheese. The red sauce had a good tang to it and tasted like tomatoes, I really enjoyed it. Service was friendly and quick. Highly recommend!
The pizza really shines here they have a great selection of specialty pizzas, including the five cheese white made with their delicious Alfredo sauce instead of the traditional red sauce. Each day of the week they have a specialty soup as well my favorite is the chicken florentine served on Fridays. You must also try the chicken salad it is also great with marinated grilled chicken olives artichoke hearts and their homemade Italian vinaigrette, I recommend the Dijon vinaigrette it is a must. And their meatballs are great too try the meatball sub, well I guess everything is good there!
