LAWRENCE, Neb. (KOLN) – Many credit the way of life in Lawrence, Nebraska to Dick’s Place. For more than five decades, a husband and wife have given back to Lawrence with the bar, grill and grocery store.
“It’s a place for community gatherings. It’s a place just to come and meet your friends and sit back and relax and solve the world’s problems,” said Allen Ostdiek, a customer.
In 1971, the owners Dick and Marge Kohmetscher opened this business in the town where Dick grew up.
“When we started, it was more of a, ‘Come in a sit and drink a beer’ type of thing,” Dick said. “I thought it’d be easier than working for a living. And I was wrong.”
Before serving his customers, Dick served his country in the Vietnam War, repairing machine parts.
“We also turned out a lot of boxes. And we put racks in them, and they shipped bodies back to the United States,” Dick said.
In the midst of this hard work, he met his future wife and business partner in the service.
“I was a permanent party. I was an instructor at the Machinist School in Aberdeen, Maryland,” Dick said. “And she was going through the early stages of being in the Navy.”
Dick’s Place wouldn’t be what it is today without his wife, Marge Kohmetscher, who prefers to stay behind the scenes. The two met in Pennsylvania at a USO dance while Marge was serving in the Navy. They got married in 1970, then a bar called Joe’s Place came up for sale in Lawrence, Nebraska.
The Kohmetschers bought the building and naturally changed the name to Dick’s Place.
“And now we do food and everything. It’s changed considerably,” Dick said.
The establishment now serves as more than just a bar, providing essential grocery services to the small town.
“When we didn’t have one for a short period of time, we were driving to Blue Hill, Hastings to get groceries,” said Vonnie Himmelberg, a customer. “So we really do appreciate the fact that they keep the grocery store going, and it’s nice. We can get most everything we need.”
While running Dick’s Place, the Army veteran once worked as the fire chief and coached local sports teams for about five decades.
When asked if there was anything he didn’t do in the community, Dick joked, “I was never a lifeguard cause I can’t swim. Otherwise, I might of been one of them.”
The 77-year-old and his wife keep the bar, grill and grocery store afloat, but Dick is looking toward the future.
“I would love to find somebody that would be wanting to come in and take over,” Dick said.
This would allow the way of life to continue in the small town of Lawrence.
Dick’s Place is at 161 N Calvert St in Lawrence, Nebraska, and you can find their hours and specials on the business’s Facebook page.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Dining and Cooking