Throughout it’s 31-year history, a chord has strummed at the heart of Omaha Magazine’s Best of Omaha contest: one of harmony and mutual appreciation between local consumers and their favorite area businesses.
For example, Clearview Pet Care Centre regular Kari Longo had this to say about her preferred pet boarding facility, and more:
“When I settled on Clearview, it was an obvious choice. [Manager] Andrea and her team are completely focused on providing a happy, healthy environment for pets. I then learned about Best of Omaha because Clearview had the contest seal proudly displayed at their entry. The contest is vetted fairly, and votes are placed by consumers. It was obvious that the contest spotlighted the best of the best. I have used the contest results in choosing auto-repair shops, home-repair services, and others. I have found the ‘Best’ choices to be all I hoped for in quality,” she affirmed.
On why Longo takes the time to vote in Best of Omaha year after year, she said:
“I use Clearview weekly and have for many years. I want folks to know what I know: that Clearview offers the Best of the Best in pet boarding and daycare. That is why I continue to vote, because that BOO seal confirmed what I found to be true about the business at Clearview, and I wanted others to know.”
As for metro businesses, the feelings are very much mutual.
“It means a lot to us when our clients show their appreciation by voting. We try our best to be the best and it feels good when our clients think the same,” said Clearview Lodging Manager Andrea Delisi. “Most people think ‘this must be a good, trustworthy place’ when they see the BOO signage at our facility and on our social media. So, I definitely think that by being voted in the top three every year gets us more and more new clients, which is amazing. We want people to know they can trust their pets with us.”
Omaha Magazine is proud to present the longest-standing—and most reliable—contest of its kind in the metro. Every vote has a story, and we hope you’ll continue to add yours to Best of Omaha each year. Thank you to all who participate.
From the Editor
Omaha Magazine values your opinion. That is why we started a contest that allows the public to vote on their favorite places in Omaha. Since 1992, our Best of Omaha contest has been a fun event. Best of Omaha was established to be a true award—businesses cannot buy their way into the contest.
Through the years, the contest has grown, and with it, the number of voters has grown. Best of Omaha is highly competitive—with tens of thousands of votes counted each year—and voter participation remains pivotal to the outcome.
In order to become a “Best of Omaha,” restaurants, retailers, and businesses need your vote. You can feel good about voting in Best of Omaha, because we are the city’s legitimate “best of” contest.
Like the local businesses you love, our voting system is fair, convenient, and free from manipulation. We use a verified email system for all voters. We only accept one ballot per verified email to avoid vote-stuffing. The ballots are free of advertising and sponsorships. It doesn’t take much time to vote, and, although there are lots of fun categories from which people can choose—’Cookies’ and ‘Wedding Videography’ are among new favorites around here—the minimum number of votes is five. We also leave the category fields blank so voters are not steered toward certain businesses.
To encourage voting and say thank you, many local businesses offer discounts that the public can obtain simply by showing their proof-of-voting certificate. Anyone who completes the Best of Omaha voting ballot will receive the certificate and discounts that come with it. Who you vote for does not show or affect your ability to receive the discounts.
Please take a few minutes and vote July 1st through August 10th at bestofomaha.com
Todd Lemke
Publisher
Omaha Publications
From our Sponsors
Local businesses are the cornerstone of what makes Omaha a great place to live and work. From someplace new to an old favorite you go back to again and again, there’s something special about the businesses that serve our community. Every day KETV works with local business owners to highlight the great work they’re doing and their positive impact.
That’s why KETV is proud to be a part of Omaha Magazine’s Best of Omaha campaign. Your votes help shine a light on the amazing local businesses making a difference in Omaha. From the nominees to the winners, thanks for making Omaha such a unique and fun city.
Shawn Oswald
General Manager
KETV
Walnut Media is honored to once again partner with Omaha Magazine as a media sponsor of the Best of Omaha campaign! As the area’s only locally owned and operated broadcast company, we recognize how important the connection to local consumers is!
Being recognized by consumers as the top businesses in their category is a great accomplishment! We are excited to spread the word to our listeners and continue to encourage active participation in the voting process.
We happily support Best of Omaha on our radio stations, which include: Boomer Radio, playing the hits from the ’60s and ’70s; KCRO 660AM, The Heartlands Christian Voice; and through our digital divisions, Performance Digital, and Performance Podcasts!
Omaha Magazine continues to do an outstanding job of making the Best of Omaha the premier program in the country.
We encourage you to support the businesses and sponsors throughout the coming year.
Patrick Combs
President/CEO
Walnut Media
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2023 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
