Local restaurants benefit from stimulus checks

The federal government started releasing stimulus checks this week and it's a welcome sight for many, especially those in the restaurant business.

GOT THEIR STUMULUSCHECKS THIS WEEK ....AND IT'S A WELCOMESIGHT FOR MANY --INCLUDINGRESTAURANTS .....SYDNEY GRAYSHOWS US HOWPEOPLE ARE USINGTHAT EXTRA MONEYTO BUY LOCALLY.WHILE YOU CAN'TCURRENTLY EATINSIDE OMAHARESTUARANTS ...PHONE LINES ..ARE STILL BUSY.:02:31:15 "THEIRPHONES ARE RINGINGOFF THE HOOKS, ALLOF THEIR REGULARSARE COMING BACK ...YOU KNOW THEY FEELMORE SECURE WITHTHIS EXTRA MONEY,AND THEY WANT TOUSE IT IN THECOMMUNITY YOUKNOW GO ABOUTTHEIR OWN DAILYLIVES AND ...IT'S BEEN REALLYGOOD."ALEX MULLEN IS THEGENERALL MANAGERAT IKA RAMEN INBENSON ...HE SAYS EVEN MOREPEOPLE PLACING TO-GO ORDERS THANKSTO THE RECENTSTIMULUS CHECKS.:01:30:26 "YOU KNOWTHERE'S LOT'S OFTHESE STIMULUSCHECKS COMING OUT,BUT NO ONE WASREALLY SAYING AWHOLE ABOUT ...HEY WE GOT IT ...BUT ...ON TUESDAY OF THISWEEK ...ALMOSTINSTANTANEOUSLYOUR BUSINESSDOUBLED."BOTH IKA RAMENLOCATIONS HAVESEEN AN UPTICK INCUSTOMERS ...AS HAVE OTHERRESTARAUNTS INTOWN.:02:14:14 "IT WAS VERYOBVIOUS THAT THATWAS THE CASEBECAUSE IT WASN'TJUST TUESDAY ...IT WAS WEDNESDAY,IT WAS THURSDAY, ITWAS FRIDAY ...IT WAS YESTERDAY ...AND, I'M PART OF AFACEBOOK GROUP OFINDUSTRY FOLKS ANDTHEY'RE POSTING ALLTHE SAME THING ...SEEING THE SAMEPATTERN."MIKEY PHILBIN IS ACHEF AT JOJO'S DINERIN BENSON.WHILE HE SAYSBUSINESS HAS PICKEDUP THIS WEEK....SEEING MORE OF HISINDUSTRY FOLKS ANDTHEY'RE POSTING ALLTHE SAME THING ...SEEING MORE OF HISREGULARS...IS THE REAL BONUS.:31:01 "JUST HAVINGPEOPLE IN THERESTAURANT ...YOU KNOW WE HAVETHIS BEAUTIFUL OPENKITCHEN HERE ANDTHERE'S NO ONE TOSIT HERE AND WATCHUS COOK ...SO JUST INTERACTINGWITH THE GUESTSAGAIN."MULLEN SAYS HEKNOWS THE CHECKSARE JUST A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION ...BUT THEIR IMPACT ...IS LONG-TERM.:01:04:10 "TO SEE THATPEOPLE ARE USINGTHIS MONEY IN A WAYTHAT IS ..NOT JUSTBENEFITTING -- I MEANIT BENEFITSTHEMSELVES--BUT IT'SALSO INJECTING BACKINTO THE COMMUNITYAND NOT JUST THEBARE ESSENTIALS."TONIGHT, THENEBRASKA STATEEDUCATION