South Omaha’s newest dining concept, the South O Sandwich Company, is taking a bold step to address workforce challenges by partnering with the Stephen Center homeless shelter. General manager Nick Bartholomew says the collaboration will give shelter guests who have completed the Center’s programs a clear pathway back into steady employment.

“The ideal is that guests from the Stephen Center who are graduating their programs can find a leg up, find a way to get back into the workforce,” Bartholomew explained. He added that once participants learn essential skills such as money handling, customer service, and food preparation, they become more valuable to themselves and to the broader Omaha community.

One of the first participants, James Sova, shared his experience. After his father moved into assisted living, Sova needed both a job and a place to stay. The Stephen Center provided temporary housing, and through the partnership he discovered the sandwich shop’s training program. “I think it’s a good fit,” Sova said, describing himself as a “food geek.” He praised the restaurant’s fresh‑baked bread and unique menu items like the Dr. Pepper BLT and Peach of Mind, noting that the establishment feels distinct from chain competitors.

The South O Sandwich Company began as a pop‑up downtown over the summer before securing a permanent location inside ‘The Daily’ at 120th and Center. Bartholomew hopes the model can be replicated elsewhere. “Within a year’s time, the proof of concept should be in place so this can become a local Omaha concept that translates just about anywhere,” he said.

Community impact and future plans

The partnership aligns with a growing trend of businesses in Omaha investing in workforce development for vulnerable populations. By offering hands‑on training, the sandwich shop not only fills staffing needs but also helps reduce homelessness and unemployment in the area.

Local leaders have praised the initiative as a practical example of faith‑based and community‑driven solutions to social challenges. While the Stephen Center is a secular nonprofit, its mission to restore dignity and self‑sufficiency resonates with Omaha’s broader commitment to family stability and individual liberty.

Bartholomew emphasized that the program is designed to be sustainable. “Once that community is brought back up and taught things like money handling, customer service, preparatory needs and things like that, they become not only more valuable to themselves, but they become more valuable to our community as a whole,” he said.

As the South O Sandwich Company settles into its new home, the partnership with the Stephen Center stands as a hopeful model for other local businesses seeking to make a tangible difference while strengthening the local economy.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.