Joe Mullin
General Manager
Mr. Toad

Omaha’s Old Market has been a thriving area for small, local businesses for just over 50 years now, and Mr. Toad has been there since the beginning. 

While general manager Joe Mullin certainly hasn’t been there since the beginning, (he’s only 40), he has been there since 2002. His face has become familiar to everyone who works in or frequents the Old Market. 

Like a lot of others in this industry, he doesn’t have any formal training or education, just the knowledge he’s accumulated over the years. And like many others, he is feeling the loss of sharing that knowledge. 

“My favorite part of the job is without a doubt the people,” Mullin said. “I enjoy the connections and friendships that I’ve made with not just my coworkers and regulars, but also the people that I might only run across once in this life.”

The coronavirus has changed that.

“The pandemic has effectively closed my work establishment. Mr. Toad would have been opened and recorded a sale every single day for 50 years this December 26th if it were not for the pandemic.”

Mullin is hopeful. In a follow-up, he said when bars are allowed to reopen, he believes Mr. Toad is set up in a way that would help facilitate social distancing. “Of course, the employees’ health comes first,” he added. “That’s one of the great things about Toads’ ownership…it’s not just about the money.”

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