Amanda Q. Kephart
Bartender and Manager 
M’s Pub

“I have worked at many places,” said Amanda Kephart. “I’ve truly run the gamut, from corporate-owned to small and independent. I’ve done everything you can do...except own one.” 

She said she has held nearly every position, from dishwashing to managing, even working as a wedding DJ for about a year. 

Since she started in the industry, some aspects of it have changed, such as serving silently. “That [change] was great for me. I’m a talker and boy, do I love a captive audience.” 

Kephart added that she has taken some culinary classes at Metropolitan Community College, and she’s spent hundreds of hours learning about liquor and wine. “I have a Bachelor of Science in history from UNO and a deep appreciation for the history of food and beverage.” 

“I love a restaurant that feels lived in and loved,” Kephart said. “I firmly believe that buildings take on the emotions of what occurs inside of them. And there are so many restaurants in this town that when you walk into them, you can feel the years of love and laughter. 

“I was employed at M’s when the fire of 2016 occurred, and there are weird echoes of that,” she continued. “The forced unemployment aspect has been extremely hard to come to terms with.  Luckily, no one close to me has been taken ill with COVID-19. But everyone I know has had their life impacted.”

This article was printed in the June 2020 edition of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.