Fair Deal Cafe

Fair Deal Cafe is a historically significant diner for the African American community in North Omaha, Nebraska. Once known as the "Black City Hall", Fair Deal was located at 2118 North 24th Street in the Near North Omaha neighborhood.HistoryOpened in 1954, the Fair Deal Cafe is reputed for playing a major role in the history of North Omaha. A variety of politicians and community leaders gathered there throughout the years, and as a social and cultural hub for almost 50 years in the second half of the 20th century there was no parallel in the community.The cafe was called Omaha's "Black City Hall" because "people from all over came and local people had meetings there to discuss politics and run campaigns running for major offices at the state level as well as the national level." Senators and governors came to the cafe. Leaders including Ernie Chambers, Brenda Council, Ben Gray, Gene Haynes, and others met there to discuss the important issues facing the city. Celebrities including Bill Cosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jesse Jackson came there, too.Famous for serving chitlins and candied sweet potatoes, the Fair Deal Cafe has Art Deco fixtures, including the lunch counter, stools, and ceiling fans, as well as a tin ceiling. The cafe was located near the St. Martin de Porres Center, which was home to the De Porres Club, an anti-racial segregation organization active in Omaha from the 1940s into the 1970s.