About RETROMAHA
Hi, I’m Ryan, the designer and owner behind RETROMAHA.
I moved to Omaha in 1990 to attend Creighton and ended up staying. I started RETROMAHA here in 2020, and it’s independently owned and operated in Omaha today. I design the products and run the business; professional printing partners around the country print and ship the orders.
My interest in this stuff goes back a while. I was one of the founders of SLAM OMAHA, the local music and art website. Places like the Ranch Bowl, the 49’r and Dirt Cheap were part of my life, and I like seeing people remember them.
How the designs happen
I’m a web and graphic designer by trade. For RETROMAHA, I track down old photos, newspaper ads, matchbooks, menus and signs. Sometimes there’s a good original logo to work from. Other times I’m rebuilding one from a blurry photo because that’s all I can find.
I try to get the details right and learn the history behind each place. The designs cover Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs—from places everybody remembers to ones only a few people might recognize. Those obscure ones are often my favorites.
What am I missing?
If there’s a place you think should be here, send it my way. Photos, menus, matchbooks, old ads and whatever you remember are always useful.