Taylor Long
Barback
Beercade in Benson
Born and raised in North Omaha, Taylor Long said he started working when he was 16. The 28-year-old was working as a barback at Beercade in Benson when the pandemic hit, but his first job was at eCreamery.
“When it was time to move on to my next job (fired), I worked at Amsterdam Falafel and Kabob right next door.” After a brief stint in Austin, Texas, where he worked as a busser at a high-end restaurant and a costume store, he moved back to Omaha and started working at Fullhouse Bar as a karaoke host. “I’ve liked to say my time in the industry has been a well-rounded experience and kept me very busy.”
Long gave up drinking about a year ago to help “sort out my mental health and priorities.”
“This whole last year I felt like I have made tremendous progress and was so excited…I feel like I have taken a couple steps back.”
He said it is hard to find a purpose for the day, “when every day is becoming the same.”
Communicating with his peers helps. “We are all freaking out in our own ways, but making sure everyone else is okay as well. Ever seen Garden State? It’s like we are all holding hands and yelling into the void together. There’s that. That’s nice.”
He is also finding joy in the little things. “I faced all the cans in our fridge the other night at 3 a.m., you know, it felt right. And when I woke up the next morning and grabbed a soda, boy, did it look great.”
This article was printed in the June 2020 edition of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
